Seven Years
by theatrehopeful11
Summary: My name is Reagan Booth. Today is my Sweet 16, and I hate my mother. Chapter 27 Posted! Chapter 28 coming soon! Bones future fic featuring the characters you know and love, and a few of my own creation. Read & Review!
1. Sweet Sixteen

Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine except Reagan, Quinn, and Peyton Booth. I also own the plot.

_Dear Diary, August 19th, 2023_

_I got this diary from my Aunt Angela for my Sweet 16, and I promised her that I'd put it to good use, so I'm doing just that right now. I guess I'd better introduce myself. My name is Reagan Elizabeth Booth and I just turned 16 today. I have two older brothers, Parker and Peyton, and an older sister Quinn. My parents are Special Agent Seeley Booth, and Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan. I feel like I should make a few disclaimers before I continue, because my life is messed up and I'm not a happy person. I am 16 years old and I will be graduating high school this year. That's right – according to everyone, I am a genius. I have an IQ of 194, and that test was taken when I was 12. I belong to the Giga Society – it's a society for all people in that 99.999999th percentile that I fall into. In addition to being a brainiac, I will also be attending Georgetown University starting in the fall to study biology and anthropology. I want to do what my mom does. My older sister Quinn will also be starting college at Georgetown in the fall; she's 18 and is normal. She wants to study history. I'm glad that she's going with me, because in all honesty, I'm a little scared. I'll be leaving everyone I know from school behind, and I know that I'll have trouble fitting in. I'm only 16 and all the college kids are old enough that hanging out with a kid won't be fun. I imagine I'll be spending a lot of time in a dorm room alone, but that doesn't bother me too much. I spend a lot of time alone anyways. _

_On to more important disclosures that will help you understand me…_

_I hate my parents, but mostly my mom. Funny how I want to be just like her, huh? It's something that happened when I was 8, and it has changed our relationship ever since. It's hard for me to talk about, but maybe writing it will be easier. When I was eight years old, my mom told me I was a mistake. I had just gotten home from school and was going to go talk to her about my day and science class. When I walked in the room she looked upset, and when I asked her what was wrong, she just stared at me. It was at that point that she said, "You're what's wrong. If you hadn't been born everything would be fine. You were a mistake." All I could do is stare at her as she smashed my heart into oblivion. I didn't say anything and turned and walked back to my room and quietly shut the door. I hate that day. It was the day that I began to hate myself because she hated me. I guess I should have seen it coming, but when your mom is your hero, I guess you wear blinders. My mom was never the most loving person in the world – at least to me. She would hug my brothers and sister, but she hardly ever hugged me. I thought maybe it was because I was so smart. I tried to do badly in school just for her, but I couldn't. Once I got a B and dad asked me if I forgot to turn something in, but that was it. She never even said anything. When Quinn and Peyton got A's she was happy, but she was never happy for me. _

_From that point on, I withdrew. At family functions I would sit and read a book and not speak to anyone. At Christmas I would always open my gifts and let them sit in my room untouched, and once we cleaned out our rooms to give stuff to goodwill, I would give all my gifts away. If my mom couldn't love then I didn't want pity gifts from anyone else. No one ever noticed that I had changed, except Aunt Angela. She was the only person who ever paid me any attention, but even she doesn't know what mom said. I think this is a sadness that I will carry around with me forever. I feel that no one will ever love me, and that I don't deserve to be loved. _

_Because, let's face it…no one loves a nobody. And that's me, Reagan Booth._

Reagan turned over and put the diary in her nightstand drawer. Just by writing that little bit of information down – information that she had never told anyone – she felt better. Grabbing her book, Reagan snuggled down into the covers of the bed. She was trying to learn Greek on her own, and was actually quite successful. She had asked her dad to buy her some tapes so she could learn on her own, and he had obliged without much trouble. Reagan never asked her mother for anything at all, since giving birth to her was such a terrible ordeal, why should she put her in under any more stress.

There was a knock at the door, and Reagan looked up. "Come in." Her dad slowly opened the door and came into the room.

"Hi sweetie," he said softly. He always had a smile for her, even though she never smiled back.

"Hi dad," was all she said.

"I just wanted to say Happy Birthday again before you went to bed. Did you have a good time today?"

"Yeah, it was a good day."

"That's good. You're always so quiet."

"Don't want to bore anyone to death," Reagan said with a straight face. Her dad laughed.

"You'd never bore me to death, remember, I'm used to your mother." Reagan only nodded. Seeley just wanted to get one smile out of her today. It's not right for a girl not to smile on her Sweet 16. "Don't you ever smile anymore, Ray?"

"Sometimes, dad. Smiles should be saved for when they are truly needed."

"Can't you give your dad just one smile?"

"I suppose." Reagan gave him a small true smile that was reserved only for him.

"That's my girl. Well, looks like you are studying your Greek again, so I'll just let you get to it. See ya in the morning. Happy Birthday, Ray."

"Thanks. 'Night Dad." He smiled at her one last time and shut the door.

His youngest child always perplexed Seeley Booth, as Reagan was just too far out of his league sometimes. She was always too hard for him to read. He could never tell if she was happy or sad, since she never smiled at anyone. She had grown into such a different young lady. He reminisced about her as a baby. She always smiled and was bubbly all the time. She rarely fussed about anything and was content to be near either of her parents. And as she grew her personality stayed the same. Reagan was always content to be doing something with her parents. Most days, since she was home schooled, she spent time with Temperance at the lab and Reagan loved every minute of her time there. When she was eight, she asked to be enrolled in a regular school and it was around that time Seeley noted a huge change in her demeanor. From pleasant and outgoing to quiet and withdrawn, it was as if Reagan had changed overnight. It was then he realized that she had grown up too quickly, though he didn't know the reason behind it.

Seeley walked into the bedroom he shared with his wife. She was sitting on the bed pouring over files. "Bones," he said, alerting her of his presence.

"Oh, hi."

"Working again? I thought you said you'd take a break today?"

"It's just work for my next book, I wanted to do some editing."

"You did some earlier when we were supposed to be spending time with Ray."

"I only worked for a little while, and I spent time with her today."

"I know. Come on, come to bed." Temperance sighed, but got up and put the papers away and lay down next to him. "That's better." She smiled at him as he leaned down to kiss her. "I love you, Bones."

"I love you too, Booth."

"Can you believe our baby is 16?"

"They grow up fast, don't they?"

"Too fast. I just wish she wasn't headed off to college in a few weeks. We're really going to have an empty nest."

"But we'll be able to focus on us now instead of the kids all the time. We can go on trips and stuff alone, and we can spend more time working on cases."

"You always want to work, don't you?"

"I can't help that I just love working with my partner. Have you met him? He's gorgeous and carries a gun."

"So you like dangerous men?"

"No, I just like his guns." She kissed him passionately as he reached over and turned off the lights.


	2. Moving To College

Thanks for all the review so far! Keep reviewing and I'll keep posting! I'm not sure how long this is going to be. I have the story imagined out for quite a long while, but we'll see. I'm a busy busy girl, so don't be too frustrated if I can't update regularly. Also, I just noticed that my timeline is a little off, so I'm gonna move the date forward coz it's driving me nuts! So fast-forward whilst standing still to 2028!

**Thanks!**

_Dear Diary, Sept 1st, 2028_

_Hi, it's Reagan again. Well, I'm finally moved in at school. It took me a few days to get all my boxes unpacked, but I'm finally done moving. My room is so small; I guess I'm lucky that I'm not a bigger person. I wanted to write and tell you about what happened with move-in day. Mom and Dad were supposed to help Quinn and I take our boxes, but at the last minute, Mom said that Aunt Angela and Uncle Jack were going to move me in since I was going to be on the opposite side of campus as Quinn. She and Dad went with Quinn. I feel like I sound like a jealous schoolgirl, but I'm not. I'm glad that Aunt Angela was there because she's the only adult I can ever really talk to about anything, but more of that later. Once I had most of my stuff in, they left after hugs and kisses. I was kind of glad that I could just unpack at my own rate, but I was still expecting mom and dad to come around to say goodbye. Three hours later, I get a phone call from dad saying that they were at home. Neither one of them even came to say goodbye to me. Is mom telling dad that he should hate me too? Dad's never once forgotten me, except for today, and that hurts a lot._

_But now that I'm not at home, I cannot worry so much about what mom thinks of me. Classes start in three days, so I have time to get acquainted with campus and where all my classes are. I got my letter from the University saying that I was directly admitted into the Anthropology program and that all my Gen Eds had been waved because of my prior coursework done and my entrance exam scores. Quinn was jealous when she found out because she has to take almost all her gen eds. When she was complaining to mom, mom said, "Well, I know that you'll pass them all with flying colors." I didn't even get a good job, but then I shouldn't expect it._

_Darn it, Reagan…you're away from mom now, stop thinking about all the bad things she's done. _

_I shouldn't even call her mom anymore, since really she's not a mom to me. She's Dr. Temperance Brennan to me. Maybe when I go home for Thanksgiving (if I go home, Thanksgiving is a terrible holiday for me) I'll just call her Dr. Brennan. No…that would be disrespectful, and that's not who I am. I'm a good kid, I can't let mom drag me down to her level._

_I met the girl across the hall earlier today. She seems nice. Her name is Anne-Elise, and she's music major. We made plans to have lunch tomorrow. I'm not going to let on to anyone that I'm smart. I'll just act like a normal person, that way they won't shun me. ' I shall not be a brainiac in front of people' is going to be my new mantra. I'm only going to be smart behind closed doors. Oh…there's the phone…hold on…_

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ray."

"Hi dad."

"Sorry we didn't stop back today. Your mom wasn't feeling well."

"It's fine. Aunt Angela and Uncle Jack helped me."

"I know, I just wanted to be there today."

"Dad, really, it's fine. I don't mind," Reagan said matter-o-factly without trying to be mean.

"How's your dorm? Your sister's was really small."

"Mine is small too, but I don't need a lot of room to function. I figure I'll be spending a lot of time in the labs working on homework and stuff. I've got a big credit load."

"Yeah you do. Are you sure you can handle 21 credit hours?"

"Yeah, I've got it. Besides, it's not like I've got anything better to do."

"You could make some friends."

"I met the girl across the hall. Her name is Anne-Elise and we're going to lunch together tomorrow. She's 17."

"That's good, I hope you have a good time."

"I think we will. Our personalities seem different enough for us to get along great. She's musical and artistic. I'm not."

"Sounds like your mom and your Aunt Angela." Reagan sighed; she hated being compared to her mom. "Well, kiddo, I'm going to have to run. Your mom and I just got a call for a crime scene, so I'll let you get back to your unpacking."

"Alright dad. Talk soon."

"Bye sweetie."

"Bye," Booth hung up. "Love you too." Reagan hung up the phone and picked her diary up once more.

_That was dad. Mom made up some excuse that she wasn't feeling well so she didn't have to come and say goodbye. I suppose that's a good thing, that way it wouldn't hurt to see that she didn't care if I left or not. Sometimes I really wonder if dad cares at all. Every time we talk, he never ever tells me that he loves me. I'm sure he does, but maybe not as much as most fathers love their daughters._

_I'm getting depressed again. I'm going to stop._

_Bye,_

_Reagan_

With a few boxes left to unpack, Reagan got up and started moving stuff around. The first box she opened was one she didn't remember packing. Inside were pictures. "This must be Quinn's stuff," she thought to herself. The box contained family photos that pictured a family that Reagan didn't even know anymore. There was her dad with his arm around her mom, smiling down at his kids. In front of him sat Parker, Peyton, and Quinn, and Reagan was in her mom's lap. "I'm sure she loved taking that picture," Reagan scoffed as she set the picture aside. Continuing to dig through the box, Reagan found a note inside.

Reagan,

I thought you could use some pictures for your dorm room. I know you don't like home a lot, but sometimes you just have to look at unguarded moments to find the love you seek. I hope this gives you guidance.

Love,

Auntie Angela

Reagan smiled and began sifting through the box. There were tons of pictures of her parents and her siblings and family friends. One picture in particular caught her eye. In the middle, standing up was her dad and her very pregnant mother. Her dad was looking down at her mom's belly with a huge smile on his face, and Temperance had her hand on her belly. When Reagan turned the picture over, she saw that it was dated 2012. "It's a picture of me…well, not really, but it's me," she thought. "They look so happy, then the demon child emerged and poof! Goodbye happiness." 

She put the pictures down, that thought banished all the smiles she had.


	3. Friends & Family

Once again, thank you so much for the reviews! I'm glad that you like this story. I have an interesting idea on how the conflict will be resolved, but I just can't determine how fast I want to move the story along. I hope you enjoy this next Chapter! And the episode last night…I think the kiss between Jack & Angela was perhaps the most romantic thing ever! I can't wait til next week when we get some Bones and Booth action!

_Dear Diary,November 1, 2028_

_It's been a few weeks since school started and I'm adjusting pretty well. My classes are all extremely easy for me, as I figured they would be. The only class that I can't stand is Physiology. My professor thinks that he's God, and it irks me to no end. Now, I've done my fair share of studying anatomy and stuff like that, so I have a pretty good basis of knowledge. And of course, you can't forget who my mother is, so I know a lot about the human body that most people would spend years trying to learn. But I think this guy is out to get me. His name is Dr. Michael Stires, and he is so stuck up. He always has to make an example of me in class, like I'm not weird enough, and he's gotta point out to everyone else that 'even a sixteen year old understands this stuff.' I hate it. AND I don't think I've ever met a professor that hates giving an A more than he does. When he handed our tests back last week, he glared at me when he dropped my paper on my desk. Is it my fault that his test was too easy? _

_But anyways, I haven't had a call from home since school started and dad called me that night, which also means that I haven't been home in two months. Quinn went home last weekend (and considering that home is twenty minutes away, I think it's silly) and she said that dad said 'hi.' Guess I'm not even worth a two-minute phone call. Aunt Angela, however, has been calling three times a week to make sure that I'm okay. I appreciate her a lot just for that fact. We talk for hours too. I don't think I've ever had a conversation with my mother that's lasted longer than ten minutes. Aunt Angela just knows how to relate and how to make me feel better. She even told me that Parker had finally proposed to his girlfriend, Alyssa. The wedding is going to be in May. I wish Parker had called and told me, but I'm sure he's just so excited that she said 'yes' that I slipped his mind. I'm excited for him though, I really like Alyssa a lot. _

_Anne-Elise and I have also become really good friends. We go out together on the weekends and I've been to some of her recitals already. She's so talented, I wish I could play a musical instrument. The other day she took me to pick up some sheet music for her piano part in the pit orchestra and she got me to sing. She says that I'm actually pretty good, and that I could be awesome with practice. I think she's just being nice, though. No one in my family has any musical ability, so if I have any, I'm surprised. This weekend we're going to the Jeffersonian. I told her that we'd get to go into the Medico-Legal lab. Aunt Angela is going to give us a 'tour' even though I've been there enough times to give a tour myself. After that, Aunt Angela said she'd take us to lunch. I think that Anne-Elise will like Aunt Angela, they are both artistic people. Next week we are going on a mini-dig for one of my archaeology courses. I'm excited for that. I've read up on proper protocol for a dig site and I think that I will be far ahead of my classmates. Well, I've got a paper to write, so I'm gonna go._

Reagan 

Setting aside her diary, Reagan began her paper.

Brennan put the case files in her desk and locked the door. She had been in the office all day and was ready to go home. Since the children had gone away to school Booth had made an effort to make sure they had dinner together every evening. It was actually quite nice, and afterwards was even better.

Now that they had the house to themselves, their love-life had been rekindled and every night was like rediscovering each other. They were doing things that neither had done in years. Thank heavens that she couldn't get pregnant anymore. The last time she had gotten pregnant, there had been a terrible outcome.

Temperance thought about her last pregnancy and how unfulfilling it had been for her, and it hadn't resulted in much either. All it resulted in was pain, heartache and disappointment – a lot of disappointment.

Where had she gone wrong? Why was she being punished? How could one pregnancy bring on so much unhappiness?

Had she been wrong to even marry Booth in the first place? A workplace relationship had been hard, but things seemed perfect in the beginning. And even all these years later, they still loved each other very much. In fact, they told each other how much every day. And they had great kids – kids who were smart and happy and perfectly healthy. Yes, their life was practically perfect…except for that one painful piece.

Temperance sighed softly as she picked up her briefcase and shut off the lights in her office. Zack, who had moved from assistant to permanent member of the Jeffersonian staff, had already left. It was his tenth wedding anniversary and he and his wife, Kelly, had special plans. Angela and Jack had taken his kids, Molly, 7, Jakob, 5, and Brendan, 2, for the evening so that he and Kelly could have some much deserved alone time. Yes, everyone at the lab had had their happy endings. Jack and Angela had had a beautiful set of triplets – Nora, Lucie, and Stella, who were all 18 now. The girls had Angela's beautiful Asian features, but they were smaller in stature like Jack. And of course, Jack persuaded Angela to try for one more baby in hopes of having a boy, and they got their wishes. When the triplets were five, Angela had a boy who they named Billy (William) for Angela's father. After that, Angela insisted that four children were plenty.

Cam had even had a happy ending. She ended up becoming Chief Medical Examiner for the federal government and left the Jeffersonian four years after her arrival. She met a wonderful man named James and had two adorable boys with him.

Yes, everyone was happy, and that was how it should be. Temperance, however, had resigned herself to the fact that she would never be completely happy, even though she had wonderful kids and a loving husband. Thing could never just be perfect, there always had to be something throwing a monkey wrench in the works. And that's exactly what that last pregnancy had been – the monkey wrench.

Locking her office door, Temperance made her way out of the building.

Seeley had arrived home early to start dinner. It was his turn tonight, as Bones had cooked last night. They always liked to share the cooking responsibilities these days. Over the years, Temperance had become a better cook. When they first got married he always did his best to make sure she steered clear of the kitchen. One night, three weeks after their wedding, she had started a grease fire in the kitchen when she was trying to make him some stirfry. Luckily, he had just walked in the door and had heard her scream. He ran in and put the fire out quickly before the cupboards were scorched. That was when he made it his mission to teach her how to cook.

His other mission was to integrate pop culture into her life, and once they had kids, the job got easier. However, most of the time, all the references went over her head. "And they still do," he thought with a chuckle. "That's my Bones."


	4. Lab Disaster

Thanks for your reviews! I really appreciate all your feedback! Sorry that I didn't post this Chapter last night, but I had Initiation for my business fraternity this weekend and it was a long night Friday. This story is going to turn into a lengthy one, so it'll probably take a few chapters for you to find out what's going on with Reagan and Temperance. I already know how it's going to happen, and it's going to be rough, but I think you'll like it! Reviews feed my soul! (And I still don't own Bones.)

"Hi Sweetie!" Angela walked up to her goddaughter and gave her a hug.

"Hi. Thanks for giving us a private tour back here."

"No problem, anything for my favorite goddaughter. This must be Anne-Elise. I'm Angela."

"Nice to meet you," Anne-Elise said, shaking Angela's hand. "Reagan's told me a lot about this place."

"Well, she used to spend all her time here as a kid."

"Can we not talk about what I did when I was little? Makes me feel like I'm five again." Reagan sat her purse down on Angela's couch. "Aunt Ange, you have to show Anne-Elise the Angelator. It's the most amazing piece of machinery in the place."

"What does it do?" Anne-Elise asked, standing next to Reagan.

"Well," Angela started, "it's easier to show you than to explain it. Come with me." Angela walked out of her office and into an adjacent room where the Angelator 4 was located. The original Angelator had had many improvements over the years and now the Angelator 4 was top of the line forensics machinery. Angela sat down at the computer chair and opened a file. "What the Angelator 4 does is basically the same as the original machine, except we have a lot more possibilities when it comes to modeling the crime scene. What we do is scan in a photograph or drawing of a person, room, or thing, and the computer projects a 3-D image over here." Angela pointed to the holographic table. "Here's a picture of a 12-year-old Reagan that I drew for her mom." A picture of Reagan popped up on the screen. Now with this picture I can project the image of Reagan in 3-D. Typically in cases, we have a skull that has either been repaired by Zack or Reagan's mom, or the skull is intact. Electronic markers are placed on the skull to indicate tissue depth, and from this information we can see what a person looks like. Generally I do a drawing first and then we compare it with what the computer program produces. For the most part, I'm dead on." Angela smiled and winked at her goddaughter.

"This drawing of Reagan is amazing." Anne-Elise said, referring to the actual picture rather than the 3-D projection. "I don't think I've ever seen a more poignant rendering of a teenager."

"Well, Reagan is a pretty unique kid."

"Thanks, Aunt Angela."

"Where's the original of this picture, if you don't mind me asking?" Anne-Elise was still staring at the picture. "It should be in a museum."

"It's not that good. The original is in Reagan's mom's office."

"Mom has a picture of me in her office?"

"She has pictures of all of her kids in her office," Angela stated.

"Did you glue mine to the wall or something?" Reagan asked with a snort.

"Reagan…" Angela looked at her goddaughter and frowned. Anytime Tempe ever came up around Reagan there was always harsh feelings and hostility.

"Sorry, I'll behave. So, can we see some bones?"

"Just like your mother. Yes, there are some remains that Zack has been examining that are 500 years old. Will that peak your interest?"

"You know it! Come on, let's go see it!"

"I don't know how I feel about bones, Reagan…" Anne-Elise hesitated before Reagan grabbed her wrist and pulled her along.

"They don't smell – there's no decaying flesh left. Its just bones. You'll be fine, I promise."

"If you say so." Reagan looked over at her friend and smiled just as she ran smack dab into the last person she wanted to run into today.

Dr. Michael Stires sat in his office at Georgetown University. Student papers were strewn all over his desk and the pile of graded was quite small compared to the amount he still had left to grade. Currently he was working on Reagan Booth's paper. As much as he hated to give A's, Reagan's paper was a perfect examination of how blood flows through the brain. Of course, it would be perfect. Reagan was the one student he couldn't stand. Yes, she always did well in her work, in fact, she would have been a professor's dream student if it weren't for the fact that she just sits in class doodling in a notebook while the rest of the class is taking notes. He'd never had that happen before in any of his prior teaching experience, and it thoroughly annoyed him.

When the Dean of Anthropology came to him and told him that the University had accepted a 16-year-old student as a junior in the program, he was shocked. Never before had he encountered such a young student in college before. But of course, he was used to dealing with students in a different way, especially the female Ph.D. candidates who always came to him for advice. A 16-year-old genius was jailbait for him, and he knew that his impervious charms would not work on such a smart girl. So, he'd done a little research on the new student and he was shocked at what he'd found out. Her name was Reagan Booth, and she had an IQ of 194. Perhaps most shocking was her parentage. This girl was the daughter of his former lover, Temperance Brennan. Michael was caught off guard at this information, as he knew that Temperance had never wanted to have children. All she believed in was satisfying biological urges, which she did quite well, if he remembered correctly. And then the sour taste of defeat flooded his mind as he remembered Tempe shooting his testimony down at the trial with some sob story about seeing the victims and knowing their pain.

It was at that point that Michael Stires decided that Reagan Booth would not make an A so easy in his class. Smirking, he marked a B on her paper.

"Oh…hi mother," Reagan said stepping back from Temperance. That was the closest she had been to her mother in a long time.

"Hi Reagan. I didn't know you were coming here today."

"Oh, I asked Aunt Angela to give us a tour. I wanted to show Anne-Elise what goes on behind the scenes."

"I see."

"Anne-Elise, this is my mother, Dr. Temperance Brennan. Mom, this is my friend Anne-Elise. She lives across the hall from me in the dormitory."

"Nice to meet you, Anne-Elise," Tempe said, shaking the girl's hand and smiling. Her gaze moved back to her daughter. "Well, I was just stopping by to pick up some files and drop some other ones off. I won't interrupt your tour."

"Nonsense, sweetie," Angela said, walking over to her best friend. "We were just going to look at the skeleton that Zack's working on. Why don't you come?"

"No, I have work to get done today. I don't have time for this right now. I'll just get my stuff and go. Have fun. It was nice to see you." Reagan just looked at her mother, all the while trying to keep the hurt from showing through on her face.

"Nice to see you too, mom. Come on, Anne-Elise; let's go walk through the museum. Sorry, Aunt Ange, I just want to get out of here." Reagan walked back into Angela's office and grabbed the two purses before coming back out.

"Thank you, Angela. Maybe I can convince Reagan to bring me back another time. This place is really cool, and I'd like to see the Angelator 4 again."

"No problem," Angela said, smiling at the girl. She walked over to her goddaughter and gave her a hug. "Don't be a stranger, young lady, I know that sometimes you just want to fade away, but I won't let you."

"I know. Thanks a lot. Love you."

"Love you too, sweetie," Angela said with a smile that was on the verge of being sad.

Reagan walked up the stairs that passed by her mother's office, Anne-Elise followed behind. Had Reagan looked down, she would have seen her mother looking back and shaking her head.


	5. Venegeful Prof

**Your reviews are awesome! They just make me want to keep writing! This Chapter is going to contain the diary entry that wasn't in the last one…and if I'm really feeling up to it, I'll write the next Chapter and post it tonight as well. Just remember, the more reviews I get, the more encouraged I am to write! **

**Again, I don't own Bones. I wish I did…it would seriously be one huge cash cow that a broke college kid could really use!**

_Dear Diary,November 6th, 2029_

_Two days ago at the lab was a disaster. It was just supposed to be a nice quiet day where I could hang out with Anne-Elise and not have to have any stress because of my family issues. I thought things were going well and then mom walks in. _

_When we got back to school, Anne-Elise asked the question I'd been waiting for her to ask all day. "What's wrong with you and your mom?" I didn't really know what to say, so I just said that we don't really get along very well, and she just shrugged. I wish I could tell her what really happened eight years ago, but we're not that good of friends yet. Maybe someday, I'll tell her._

_And then, to top off a bad weekend, I got my physiology paper back today and I got a B. A frickin' B! I am the smartest person in that class and the dumb jock got an A on his paper. Here are the comments that he wrote: "Poor citations, flirting with plagiarism." I think I'm going to take my paper to the Dean. This is ridiculous! I have never even thought of plagiarizing anything in my life. I'm smart enough to have better ideas than other people! I officially hate Dr. Stires. I wish someone would push him in front of a city bus! _

_Now, if I had a normal relationship with my family, I'd call and tell them this, but I'm just going to handle it myself…alright, maybe I'll call Quinn. She usually helps me out in rough times, and I'd consider this rough. Be right back…_

Reagan picked up the phone and dialed her sister's on campus room. "This is Quinn."

"Hey sis, it's me."

"Hey, Ray. How's it going?"

"Not so good…I got a B on my physiology paper and my teacher is accusing me of plagiarism."

"Are you kidding?!?"

"I wish I was. This is so bad! What should I do?"

"Call someone and report him."

"For what? Giving me a B?"

"He can't accuse you without evidence, you should know that."

"I do know that, but he's a professor, what if they don't believe me?"

"Call in the FBI."

"You mean, call dad and mom."

"Why not? You know they'd do anything for you."

"They'd probably just say to handle it myself. You know mom and dad are too busy for something like this." '_For something that pertains to me,' _Reagan really wanted to say.

"IF you can't handle it on your own, then you're going to have to call in some reinforcements. You're not the kind of girl who'd cheat on anything. And why would someone with an IQ as high as you ever think of plagiarizing? I mean, that's just stupid!"

"I know, right? I hate this professor, he always likes to pick on me in class too."

"What's his name?"

"Dr. Stires – or mister asshole, as I like to call him. He's such a jerk. I think he's out to get me."

"Well, I'd say go talk to him before you talk to the Dean, and then if that doesn't work, then go talk to the Dean. You didn't plagiarize. I know my little sister. Listen, I have to run. I've got a date and I'm already running late. I'll call you tomorrow and see if anything's better."

"Okay, thanks Quinn."

"You're welcome. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Love ya."

"Bye, love you too." The line on the other end went dead. Reagan went back to her bed and picked up her diary.

Well, that made me feel a lot better. Having Quinn substantiate that I'd never cheat makes things better. Now I just have to work up the nerve to go to Dr. Stires office hours tomorrow to have a chat with him. The only thing I'm nervous about is how long I'll be able to mind my temper. If there's one thing I inherited from my family, it's a short fuse. I hate being messed with by other people. Funny how I can't stand up to my mom though, huh?

_When I got home from the museum on Saturday, there was a message on my answering machine from Aunt Angela. She wanted to know if I was okay after what happened, and I called her back and told her I was fine. I don't want her to worry about me, she shouldn't have to – she has four kids that she should be focused on. But, maybe it's nice to know that someone cares just a little, and maybe one day, it will help me heal._

_Talk again soon,_

_Reagan_

The next morning, Reagan found herself knocking on Dr. Stire's office door. "Come in!" she heard though the thick wood, and gently she opened the door to let herself in. Dr. Stires was bent over some very thick books.

"Ahem," she coughed, trying to get his attention.

It worked, he looked up, "Ah, Miss Booth, what brings you here?"

"My paper."

"Oh yes, I was quite disappointed in you. You'd think someone with such brains would be able to come up with her own ideas."

"I didn't plagiarize, and I surely didn't deserve a B. You even gave the linebacker an A. I've got to be smarter than him."

"He didn't plagiarize like you."

"I did NOT plagiarize anything. That is all my own work."

"That's not what I saw. Come on, admit it, you felt it would be easier just to use someone else's ideas instead of racking your not-so-smart brain to come up with ideas or your own."

"How dare you! I did not plagiarize. I would never do that? What's your problem with me anyways? You've treated me terribly ever since the second week of classes? Do my brains intimidate you? Because clearly, you are stupid enough to think that I'd cheat on a stupid paper for a class that I already know all the material for! You don't like me because you can't teach me anything and it bruises your ego!"

"I'm going to report you to the Dean for misconduct and verbally assaulting a professor."

"You do that. I'm reporting you as well, and I think I'll get farther than you will." With that, Reagan walked out and slammed the door behind her, the sound reverberating through the faculty hallway. Now that he had fired up her temper, Reagan was out for blood.

"Hi, this is Reagan Booth, sorry I can't answer the phone right now. If you'd leave your name and number, I'll call you back on a study break, thanks!" BEEEEEEEEEEEP!

"Ray, it's Quinn. Look, that name, Dr. Stires, seemed really familiar to me when you said it the other day. I did some digging around, and he was mom's fling when she was in school. Apparently she burned him with testimony in a case. It must be why he's out to get you. When you get this call me. If you want, I'll go talk to the Dean with you. Just be careful about what you say to him. I know how you are, and you can get pretty territorial when it comes to school, so keep your cool. If I don't hear from you before tomorrow I'm going to call mom and dad and tell them what's going on. From what I've heard, this guy could use the kind of attitude adjustment that only dad can give. Call me…bye."


	6. First Date

I don't own Bones, wish I did, but I don't. I do own Reagan, Quinn & Peyton though, and the plot…though technically, I'm sure there are tons of stories written with pretty much the same kind of story line with different characters, so the only thing I really own is my characters. Happy Reading! And press the review button! I love to hear what you have to say!

_Dear Diary, January 15th, 2030_

_Well, Dr. Stires is no longer an employee of Georgetown University. Today was the first day of classes back from break, and the Dean informed me personally that he had been discharged. I am so glad! My case actually was heard once dad threatened an investigation by the FBI. Needless to say, I don't think dad could have pulled it off, but the Dean sure thought so. _

_I haven't written in awhile, I feel kind of bad. But now I do have a lot to rant about. Christmas at home was awkward, to say the least. I actually got a word of encouragement from my mother. She said, "I know you'd never cheat on anything. Don't worry about Dr. Stires, his bad karma will eventually catch up to him." Can you believe it!?! That's the first time in years she's ever made any mention of the problems that I've had. Of course, I didn't get any congratulations on my grades – all A's, might I add – from either of my parents, but I've come to expect that, so it's not a big deal. _

_Over the break, I started looking into Graduate School, as I'm going to be done with my Undergraduate degree next spring. I have to take the GRE and get a score over 1200, which I don't see being a problem. Standardized tests are always easy for me. I've decided that I'm going to go to George Washington University. They have a good program, and if you choose the museum emphasis, you get to intern at the Jeffersonian _(A/N: IF you look at the Grad programs in Anthropology for George Washington, you actually do get to intern at the Smithsonian). _ I really would love to work in the museum, even if I'd have to see mom every day. Just being there would make it worth my while, I love that place. I haven't told anyone about this yet, so congrats! You're the first to know my plans for the future. I'm really excited about this, and I know I'll get accepted to the program. _

_Anyways, being back at school makes me happy. I missed being in class (aren't I a geek?), and I missed hanging out with Anne-Elise. We've actually become really close. I'm even considering telling her about what mom said when I was little. If it ever comes up again, I will tell her._

_My classes this semester are going to be fun! I've got organic chemistry 2, and microbiology, Neanderthals and Modern Humans, Evolution of the human brain, and Forensic Anthropology lab. They should be interesting. I've done some preliminary reading and I remember a lot of this stuff from when mom used to talk about it, so maybe I'll have an advantage compared to the rest of the class._

_Anyhow, I'm going out for the evening. It's Friday and I have a date – my very first date ever! I'm excited. I'll tell you all about how it goes later. Bye!_

_Reagan_

Reagan pulled out her makeup kit, and got to work, having already showered and put on her clothes. She was going out with a boy named Dave, who she had met at the campus café. Apparently they both had a love for the vanilla lattes served there, and they hit it off. Yes, she was nervous, but she was extremely excited, and wished she had someone to share her news with.

"It's weird that the kids are gone again," Booth said, looking at his wife over the top of his magazine.

"Yeah, it is quiet around here," Temperance replied softly. "But we could make some of our own noise to liven up the evening." She grinned at him as he lowered his magazine.

"I think that's a great idea, Bones." He leaned over and kissed her before dragging her down to the mattress.

Dave knocked on Reagan's door promptly at 8pm. He was nervous about the date. Yes, he'd been on other dates and he'd had girlfriends, but Reagan wasn't just any girl. Never had he met someone who was so smart. None of his other girlfriends could even match Reagan in the brains and wit category. When he had seen her at the Campus Café, he pretty much had decided at that moment that he'd ask her out. It took him three weeks to get up the gumption to do just that, and here he was, standing at her door waiting nervously.

When Reagan opened the door, Dave's jaw dropped. Never had he seen a more attractive female. Her outfit was a low cut dress that hit about midcalf, leaving enough to the imagination to make him want to beg for more. She had done her makeup smoky, with her brown hair tumbling down in loose ringlets around her face. She was a vision.

"Wow," he stuttered, "you look amazing."

"Thanks," she smiled and his knees went weak.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I just need to lock my door." She pulled the door shut behind her and locked it, then turned back to him. "Okay, let's go."

He led the way down the stairs to the parking lot, where his 2027 Toyota was waiting. He opened the door for her and shut it once she was inside. He got in on his side and drove off. His hands were sweating so much he could barely hold on to the steering wheel, and his mind was reeling, making it difficult to make conversation. Reagan felt awkward. Did she look bad? Why wasn't he saying anything? The dress must have been over the top. She folded her hands in her lap over her clutch, and looked out the window. 'He probably won't want to see me again. I knew I shouldn't have accepted the date.' She silenced a snort of contempt. 'Once he finds out that I'm 16 he's going to freak, and I won't see him ever again.'

"I hope you like Italian. I found this really nice place that I think you'll like," he said, holding back a stutter. He never stuttered, generally he was such a ladies man.

"Yeah, I love Italian food. I'll pretty much eat anything, my family was very in to ethnic foods when I was growing up, so I've had a lot of stranger dishes than pasta."

"Good, good." Again, an uncomfortable silence.

'This is going to be a long night,' Reagan though to herself.


	7. Not Daddy's Little Girl

I didn't get so many reviews for the last few Chapters…it kind of made me sad. Perhaps I won't post as fast now…unless I get lots of good reviews and feedback! Again, I don't own Bones, just my peeps in the story. Peace! After this Chapter there's going to be a time jump. Remember…lots of reviews. I think this will give you a lot to wonder about.

_Dear Diary, January 16th, 2030_

_Well, my date last night was…interesting, and verged on disaster. When Dave picked me up, I was so nervous, and he seemed nervous too. Grant it, I did wear one of my nicest dresses (a dress that my father does not know about), and it was just a little revealing. Quinn made me buy it when she heard I had a date, she even paid for half of it for me, so I had to make sure that it was put to good use. And of course, Dave stared at my cleavage all night. It was a little disgusting, and I honestly looked at him at the restaurant and said, 'Hello, I'm up here.' He looked at me like I had sprouted a second head. _

_So once Dave stopped staring at my boobs, we made some small talk before dinner came. Turns out he was actually very nice, and, thank heavens, he wasn't an idiot. I have a very low tolerance for dumb people. I know that most people aren't as smart as I am, and that's fine. I wouldn't want to find someone with the same intelligence level, I think we'd get on each other's nerves. However, I do want a man who is smarter than average. Dave is studying architecture, which I think is really cool. Fits well with anthropology – you can tell a lot about a culture based on its building and structures. _

_The restaurant we went to was one near the University, called Chez Louis. Originally, we were supposed to go to an Italian Restaurant, but he hadn't made a reservation and the wait for a table was really long. Now, I've had French food before, but I think Dave was trying to impress me. The menus were all in French, and since I've studied a little bit of French myself, I could at least pick out what I wanted to eat. Dave, it seemed, picked out something that looked French – and he chose escargots. When his plate arrived at the table, I thought he was going to throw up. It was actually hard not to laugh. So, I ended up trading him dishes. I had ordered canard a l'orange. _

_After the dinner disaster, we walked and talked, which was pretty uneventful. I thought he'd at least try to put his arm around my shoulders, but that didn't happen. After our walk he took me back to my dorm and dropped me off with a 'thanks for coming out with me, I'll give you a call sometime next week.' I'll be surprised if I ever hear from him again. _

_I don't think I'm socially awkward…do I seem socially awkward? I try my best to stay up on the trends of the times, I even dress fashionably. Maybe he was just intimidated, which I hate to say because it makes me sound like I have a huge ego, which I don't. _

_Anyways, enough of my social awkwardness…dad called me last night. He said that there's an FBI banquet this weekend that he wants the whole family to attend. On one hand, I hate going to fancy dinner parties, but on the other, it means I get a new dress! In my lifetime, I've had twenty formal dresses, most of which, don't fit me anymore since I grew like a weed during puberty. The last dress I wore was when I was 14 and let's just say, I've filled out since then. Dad said the banquet was to introduce the new Agents in training to the current agents. Quinn says she's going so she can pick up a man, and she told me that maybe I'd find someone there too…I doubt it though. Sometimes I think Quinn forgets that I'm 16, and that I'm not her twin sister. We do look quite a bit alike though, mostly we look like mom, except we both have brown hair. Peyton looks just like dad. _

_Quinn and I are going to go dress shopping again, since dad said that he'd buy us new dresses. She told me that I should get something that's going to blow everyone away, that I should kind of consider this my coming out party, except that it's not for me. And maybe I will…we can celebrate the new Agents and we can celebrate a brand new me. So, I'll pick the most drop dead gorgeous dress I can find, and I'll pray that my dad doesn't kill anyone. _

_Anyways, I'm going to go do some reading for class. Things have already started piling up and it's only the end of the first week. Quinn told me she hasn't had any homework yet, and I just said to her, 'well aren't you lucky.' She is…if the work keeps piling up at this rate, I will officially have no life this semester._

_Reagan_

The night of the banquet quickly approached, and Reagan found herself on her brother's arm at the FBI banquet. She was wearing a beautiful butter golden gown that hugged every curve at the top before flaring out just below her hips. Peyton took her coat, and once he saw what she was wearing, his eyes widened in shock. "What is this?"

"It's called a dress, haven't' you seen one before?"

"Not one like that, and never on you! Dad is going to kill you when he sees this."

"What? Is he going to make me go home and change?"

"I'm just warning you. I'd stay out of sight this evening."

"And why should my baby girl stay out of…," Seeley didn't even get to finish his sentence. "Whoa…what is the meaning of this Reagan?"

"It's a dress, dad. Remember, you told me to go buy one?"

Seeley turned to the coat check man, "Can I have her coat please?"

"What!?! You're seriously going to make me go home! Come on dad, I'm in college. I have to dress my age."

"You may be in college, but you're only 16, and I don't want any of these guys getting any ideas about you."

"What, do I scream hooker or something? It's a prom dress. Quinn's dress has an open back and you haven't even said one word to her! I can't believe this." Reagan grabbed her coat from the man and stormed out into the cold D.C. evening. Seeley wasn't far behind her, and neither was the rest of the family.

"Reagan Elizabeth Booth! I demand you stop this instant!" Temperance yelled after her daughter's retreating back. Reagan stopped. "You don't disrespect your father like that. He's only trying to look out for you."

"Yeah, look out, smother, same difference. You know what, I'm just going to get a cab and go back to school. I'm sorry I'm such an embarrassment." She turned around and faced them. "However, don't EVER invite me to come to one of these things again. I have never been more humiliated in my entire life!" Reagan whistled for the cab, refolding her coat over her arm.

A taxi pulled up and Reagan made to get in. "Oh," she turned back to them. "Don't call me anymore. I'm done." With that, Reagan got in the cab, slammed the door and the taxi pulled away.

Seeley Booth had never felt more terrible in his entire life, nor had he ever had such a terrible evening. He'd been forced to stay at the event by his boss, so there was no way he could go after Reagan. He'd called her cell phone at least fifty times and he'd still gotten no answer, and he'd even called from Peyton and Quinn's phones, just in case she'd take their calls. But his endeavors were fruitless. It wasn't until after midnight that he finally arrived at her dorm.

He climbed up the stairs and knocked on her door. There was no answer – perhaps she was sleeping. He knocked again, this time harder. Still, there was no answer. Now he was starting to panic, and Seeley pounded even harder than he had before. "Ray, come on, sweetheart, open the door. Its dad…please Ray. I'm sorry." And he truly was sorry – but he was sorry for the wrong reasons. He was only sorry that he had created a scene in front of everyone. Booth knocked again. "Ray, open up. I'll break down the door."

Finally, a disheveled Ray opened the door. "What?"

"I was starting to worry about you."

"You don't have to anymore. Remember, I'm finished with you…with all of you, so don't worry your FBI brain about me anymore. Now, can I please go to bed?"

"Not till we talk."

"Now you want to talk? You've never wanted to talk before. What? Now that you've made me upset you want to make sure that you don't burn your bridges?"

"Ray, you know that's not what I mean."

"You know what, I was excited for tonight. I wasn't going there to meet boys like Quinn was planning on doing. I was there to show you and mom that I'm not a kid anymore, that I've grown up. But clearly, you can't see that, or maybe you just won't see it."

"Don't try to pin this all on me. You know that I want you to buy tasteful dresses for these events."

"The dress wasn't even tight! There was nothing distasteful about it. It was simply a pretty dress, and I was hoping that you'd say how pretty I looked, but instead I got my coat thrown at me."

"It was inappropriate for the occasion…" he started, but Ray cut him off.

"I get that. And now, you don't have to worry about me being inappropriate at another FBI event ever again. I told you, don't invite me to anymore of your work functions, I'm done. Don't call me, don't email me, just let me be me, because I can't seem to be me with you around. So, you live your life and I'll live mine."

"Ray…" again Booth was stopped, but this time it was not by Reagan. Another voice came from behind the door.

"Hey, babe, what's going on?"

"Nothing, I'll be right back."

"Hurry, the bed's getting cold."

"You have a boy in there!" Booth was livid now. His overprotective father side was again rearing its ugly head.

"That's not any of your business anymore. Goodnight, Agent Booth." Ray shut the door in his face and locked it, waiting at the peephole till her father finally left.


	8. Apologies & Hugs

So…some criticism of Reagan's behavior in the last chapter. Critcism is always good, so instead of time jumping, I have decided to continue with one more Chapter before moving into the future. However, I won't fix things between Bones and Reagan yet. That's an underlying issue that is key to what happens later and the dynamic that is currently there still needs to be in place. Now, I do know plenty of father's who would have reacted the same way Booth did, and Reagan did act out a little bit, but wouldn't you be fed up a little too? Think about what happened in previous chapters…Booth doesn't remember to call her when she first goes moves into school – point for Reagan to be hurt about. Have you ever been harassed by a teacher before or been pointed out because you are doing well in the class? Dr. Stires was belittling Reagan's intelligence, and I'm here to tell you that it's not a fun thing and it gets annoying. Had it not been a personal experience, I would not have added it in, so keep in mind that some of this stuff is based on people's experiences with discrimination. In her diary entries I try to make her rationalize what's going on with her parents, but have you ever been in a position where you spoke before thinking about what you were saying? And as for the boy thing…that will be resolved too, and no, there will not be a teenage pregnancy. Remember, Reagan is a genius even if she acts a little immature sometimes.

"Thanks for chatting with me, Dave, really, but you definitely overstepped your boundaries when you said 'come back to bed.'" That was not a good thing. My dad is in the FBI, and no matter how much we fight, believe me, he will find out who you are. If I were you, I'd be worried."

"It just seemed like he needed a taste of his own medicine. He was being an ass."

"Regardless, you still had to right to insinuate that we were sleeping together. You're nice, but you aren't my type. I'd prefer a man who doesn't stare at my cleavage all night long."

"Hey, what can I say? You looked hot."

"Well, I'm glad you think so, but I'm going to ask you to leave now. Thank you for making sure I was okay, but your services are no longer needed." Reagan opened her door and held it open until he left. Once he was gone she locked the door.

Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on Reagan's door. Sighing loudly before getting up, Reagan walked over to the door and opened it. "I thought I told you to…oh, it's you."

"Can I come in?" Booth asked quietly.

"Yeah." Reagan stepped back from the door and allowed him entrance. "Look, dad…I know that…"

"I know, I could have been more tactful and handled things better at the benefit," he stood in front of her, searching her eyes to try and see what she was thinking – the same thing he often did with her mother.

"And now that I look back on it, I knew that you wouldn't have liked my dress. I just wanted to be pretty for once and have someone notice. And I shouldn't have spoken to you that way, I was just so angry that you couldn't get past the dress. I was happy, and that's what I wanted you to see."

"I see that in hindsight. You did look beautiful, and my alpha male tendencies got the better of me, as your mother pointed out. I just didn't want any of those agents in training getting any ideas about my little girl. Look, Ray…I know you're in college and that you want to be treated like an adult, but you have to remember that you aren't an adult yet. You're still just a kid." Reagan nodded, she no longer felt rebellious or upset, she was genuinely sorry. Even though she didn't have the best of relationships with her mother, her dad had always tried to make things good, and for the most part, he had always been there. "And you know what, Ray?" Booth put his finger under her chin and made her look up. "I know you want room to grow up, and that you're trying to fit in, and I know that I'm not ready for you to grow up yet. I guess I'm getting the empty nest syndrome that your mother probably won't get, but seeing that you don't need me anymore is hard. I'll have to learn to accept that now."

"I'll always need you dad, no matter how stubborn or mean I can be, I'll always need you. Just because I'm book smart doesn't mean I'm all knowing, especially about people. I guess I'm more like mom than I'm willing to admit…just don't think that I don't need you anymore, coz a girl always needs her dad."

Booth smiled and wrapped his arms around his little girl. Yes, even if she acted immature sometimes, she was still growing up too fast for his liking, but it felt good to hear that she needed him. When he let her go, she smiled at him, the smile that Ray only ever reserved for her dad.

"So, are we all good now? I can call you?"

"Yes, you can." She smiled again.

"Good, because sometimes I think you're becoming to work centric like your mom used to be, and I know that you don't like being compared to her. But let me tell you, sometimes, you really are your mother's daughter."

"I know, even though I hate admitting it, I do know. I'll come by tomorrow and apologize to mom, Quinn, and Peyton. I'm sorry – I just get so defensive and I forget to think before I speak. Maybe that means I'm not so smart."

"No, it just means you're a little more human. Now, why don't you go to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll come by tomorrow."

"Okay, 'night Ray. I love you."

"I love you too, dad. Goodnight." Booth hugged her once more before leaving and heading home.

The next day, Reagan unlocked the front door to the Booth family home and walked in. "Is anyone here?"

"We're in our room, Ray." It was her dad's voice. She walked back to her parent's room, where everyone was gathered. On the TV was old home movies from when they were all little. Currently, they were watching a video of Quinn. "Sit down, sis." Peyton patted the bed across from him, and Ray set her purse near the door and sat down.

"Why are we watching old movies?"

"Seemed like a good time to relive days gone by," Peyton said, jokingly. Reagan smiled at her older brother. He was always the lighthearted spirit in the family, and no matter how down she had ever been, Peyton had always been able to make her laugh.

"Listen, I just wanted to apologize for last night…I shouldn't have acted that way towards you all. I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted, sis," Peyton said, pulling her into a one armed hug. "Just remember that we're generally right when we give you advice."

"Very funny, Peyton," Reagan said, with a laugh. She turned around and looked at her mom. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, mom."

"It's alright, Ray. No hard feelings." Temperance smiled at her daughter and then did something that surprised Reagan even more. She gave her a hug.


	9. Dr Reagan Booth

I'm thrilled by all the reviews I've been getting! Thanks a lot for your comments and your encouragement. I hope the last Chapter cleared up all of Reagan's immature actions from the previous Chapter. Now, we shall time jump, because I don't want to go all the way through her Ph.D. So…here we go!

_Dear Diary,April 23rd, 2036_

_Well, I finally graduated with my Ph.D. today. It's been a long journey, and you've been with me through it all. I also got notification today that I begin my job at the Jeffersonian in two weeks, so I have two weeks off to do anything I want before I begin work. I'm so happy that I got the job at the Jeffersonian. My ex-boyfriend (ex as of two hours ago) also had applied for a position there and he got turned down, and then he proceeded to yell at me because they only picked me because my mother works there. I was completely insulted. No, they only picked me because of my mom; the fact that I have brains has nothing to do with it at all. At least I wasn't in love with him, we were just friends with benefits that attached a title to it. _

_Anyways, I'm going to Paris with Anne-Elise in a few weeks. She's been living in New York ever since she graduated, and she even got extra training at Julliard. Now she plays with the New York Symphony. I've been to a few of her concerts, and they were very nice. _

_Quinn has been good – she's nearly done with her Ph.D. at Columbia in History, and they want her to come work at the Louvre. She's very excited about that prospect – her boyfriend of three years, however, is not. His name is Terrick, and he's such a sweetie. He's 29 and an absolute sweetie! I hope that she doesn't dump him, because he's completely in love with her. _

_Peyton has also been very successful. He owns his own restaurant in New York. It actually does very well; it's very high profile. The last time I took the train in, I met some of the upcoming rising stars. It was a lot of fun. He loves his life. I think Peyton's going to be a lifetime bachelor. Yes, he has a girlfriend, and they've been dating for about a year, but every time they want him to commit he runs. He's a commitment phobe, just like our mother._

_Parker is now Special Agent Parker Booth, and has two adorable little boys with his wife. He's very happy with how his life turned out so far. I think that they're going to have another baby, but Alyssa would kill me if she heard me say that. She doesn't want to even think about having another one right now. _

_And you're probably wondering about dad…well, he's retired from active case duty, and he's the Deputy Director now. He hates deskwork, but (and I hate to say it) he's getting a little old to be out in the field. Mom has also been moved from fieldwork. She didn't want to do any without dad, so now she's head of forensics at the Jeffersonian. She has Dr. Goodman's old position. I think she likes it, even after seven years, we really don't do much talking. I still have issues with her, but I've been trying to develop a relationship with her. It's hard – she still keeps me at arms length, refusing to let me get close, and it hurts sometimes. I think as I've gotten older I've learned to deal with it better, but…when I really sit down and think about it, I'm still that eight year old girl who's mother doesn't love her. _

_Sometimes I wonder if because of what happened when I was little, if I've let that dictate my entire life – if I let it change me. I think I have, and I'm trying to reverse that, but old habits die-hard. As an Anthropologist I know this for sure. Maybe it's part of the reason why I can't really let myself love someone – I'm too afraid to hear that they don't love me. Hopefully I'll figure it out. Even though my mother's told me all about how sex is a biological need and marriage is an archaic institution, I still want to fall in love, get married, the whole shebang. After all, she used to think those things too, and she got married._

_Anyways, I'm headed out to dinner with the family, so I'll write later._

_Reagan_

The Booth family sat at their favorite D.C. restaurant, Wong Fu's, having a quiet family meal. Generally, Seeley would have cooked at home, but Temperance insisted that they take their daughter out for dinner, and Reagan only wanted to eat at one place. Wong Fu's had always been the unofficial stomping grounds for her parents when they first met, and it was also where her dad had proposed to her mom. Wong Fu's was the one place that Reagan felt really connected with her family, and that was really the reason it was her favorite restaurant.

Reagan was seated in between Peyton and Quinn, her parents sat across from her, and the Squint Squad filled in the rest of the seats. Reagan had never felt so happy, her parents were smiling and they were happy for her, she felt loved for just a little while.

"So, after you get back from France, are you going to be ready to go out on the field?" Zack asked. He still worked at the Jeffersonian, but had been moved out of forensics.

"Well, that depends if dad gives me a partner."

"As much as I don't want her in the field, Zack, you know that she'll just nag until I give her a partner," Booth said jokingly.

"You know she'll be safe, Booth. She's learned from the best."

"And she knows not to shoot someone without giving them warning," Jack joked.

"He was trying to burn evidence!"

"We know, sweetie. The guys just like to give you a hard time," Angela smiled at her best friend. "So, are you excited to be working with the family, Ray?"

"Definitely. Actually, I was so excited and my boyfriend was so pissed that he broke up with me."

"I thought he loved you."

"Apparently not as much as I thought, and it's okay. I didn't love him."

"I'm sorry, Ray."

"Hey, I'd rather have a job than a boyfriend any day."

"That's my girl," Seeley said smiling at her. "Now just remember that until your 40 and we'll be set."

"Don't you want any grandkids? If I wait till I'm 40 to get married then the chance of birth defects rises."

"Alright. 30, then."

"Whatever you say, dad." Ray smiled back at him.

"So what are you guys going to do in France?" Jack asked, setting his fork down in his bowl.

"Well, we're going to go hiking through the Loire River Valley after we spend a couple of days in Paris. Quinn made me promise that we'd go to the Louvre and tell her if she should work there, and Anne-Elise wants to go the opera one night. The hiking is my idea of fun, plus I figure if we go hiking we have increased chances of meeting a young, sexy Frenchman and falling madly in love."

"You spent entirely too much time with your Aunt Angela growing up," Jack said, shaking his head.

"Hey! She's an attractive girl, there's no reason why she can't meet a hot French guy! Besides, I'd be glad for her if she did. Those accents could just make me melt. It's like they're making love to you when you talk to them."

"Did you forget that you're my wife?"

"Of course not. I like your French accent is very good."

Quinn pulled a face, "That's not something I ever wanted to hear – from anyone." The group laughed.

Yes, life had gotten better on the surface for the Booth family, but old scars run deep.


	10. Reagan Meets Her Partner

**Thanks for the reviews. Keep 'em coming!**

_Dear Diary, May 9th, 2036_

_Well, I start work in two hours. It's currently 6am, and I've been up since five. I got back from France two days ago, and I'm still a little jet lagged. Anne-Elise and I had a lot of fun. We've got tons of pictures – mine of historical and architectural wonders, hers of hot guys at nightclubs. All in all, I'd say it was a marvelous trip. My favorite thing we did was go to Haute-Provence. The Roman ruins there were amazing._

_I can't believe that I start my job at the Jeffersonian today. I'm a little nervous, but I know that I'll have lots of support. I also get to meet my new partner today. Dad hasn't told me a lot about him – only that he's just a little older than me, and that he's a good guy. My dad is just so descriptive. I just hope that it is someone who's closer to my age, younger…unmarried. Just kidding, I'm not looking to get married any time soon. I want to work for a while before I have to worry about stuff like kids and a mortgage. And I know how pissed mom and dad would be if I just jumped into a relationship with someone I work with right away. That would be unprofessional, so I've made myself promise that no matter what happens I will not fall in love with anyone I work with (aren't mom and dad the ones to talk? They worked together, Uncle Jack and Aunt Angela worked together…so what's the problem?). _

_Hopefully I'll have my first case out in the field this week. That's what I'm most excited about. When I was little, dad would always tell me stories about him and mom in the field. Of course, he always changed the ending so it sounded like he saved her. Mom hated that he made it seem unrealistic – he didn't always save her from the bad guys. There were plenty of times when she saved him, but dad's reply is that in fairy tales the princesses aren't supposed to save the handsome prince – that it would make the Prince seem weak. And then mom would say that fairy tales are stories that were generally intended to teach lessons about life not only to children, but to people in general, and they were often times scary. Just thinking about that banter makes me laugh. Even after ten years of marriage they still could argue like pros, and yet they always respected each other. Never once was my dad mean to my mom, or vice versa, they really love each other. I know that my mom isn't the best and that I have my issues with her, but she has been a good wife to my dad, and my dad is a good man too. I just hope that one day I am lucky enough to find someone who will argue with me, but who, in the end, will respect and love me. _

_Well, I suppose I should go shower and get ready. The commute could be a long one, what with all this D.C. traffic. Wish me luck!_

_  
Reagan_

Reagan's stomach clenched as she walked into the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal lab. Not even when she was defending her dissertation had she been this nervous. Her mother had given Reagan her access card the evening before over dinner at Wong Fu's with the family. Now, as she walked in the ever familiar doors and slid her card through the access portals, Reagan had never felt so small. It was like the big bad world was crashing in and now it was her turn to hold down the fort and make a difference.

Yes, through the work she was going to do with the FBI, Reagan was determined that she'd have the same track record as her mother. Deep in her heart, she was hoping that she'd show her mother that she was worth the amount of oxygen that she used in this world. And, even though Reagan hated to admit it, she was looking for approval and love from her mom.

As she walked through the last set of sealed doors, Reagan felt awestruck. The place had changed a lot since she'd last visited, more technology meant different machines. "How on earth am I going to learn all this stuff…what am I getting myself into?" She thought to herself, trying not to let her anxiety show.

"Ray!" She heard from the floor. Her dad was there, with the rest of the Squints, waiting for her. She waved and walked down. Seeley came up to her and gave her a hug.

"Welcome to your first day of work, sweetheart."

"Thanks, dad."

"So are you nervous?" He smiled at her, trying to goad an answer out of her for which he knew the reply.

"Just a little. This place has changed a lot. There's so much new stuff."

"That's what happens when you decide to work at a smaller museum for your Internships," Angela said smiling. "Can't beat us in technology."

"No, you sure can't," Reagan said with a smile. "Where's mom at?"

"She went to get your new lab coat." Reagan smiled. It was small things like her mother going to get her new lab coat that made Reagan think that there was hope that they could have a good relationship.

"And I'm going to meet your new partner in five minutes. He's only been her once before and I've got his access card. I'll be right back." Seeley left with a smile to his daughter and then a wink to his wife, who had just approached the group.

"Here, I believe this is yours, Dr. Booth." Reagan smiled at the people around her. It was the first time she had been called 'Doctor' by anyone, and it felt strange.

"Please, make sure you all use my first name. Dr. Booth sounds a little too formal coming from you guys." They all nodded.

"Come on, Ray, we'll show you to your new office. It used to be your mom's, but now that she got her promotion, it's all yours," Angela said, smiling. Maybe this would help bring Reagan and Tempe back together. Even after knowing Reagan for her entire life, Angela had never been able to get a single word out of her when it came to what happened between the two of them.

Angela knew that it had happened when Reagan was eight, because it was at that point that Reagan's incessant visits to the Jeffersonian had stopped. No longer did Tempe go pick up her youngest daughter from her tutor and bring her to the lab to continue her learning, in fact Tempe seemed almost oblivious to the fact that it had stopped, which had disturbed Angela even more. Reagan and Tempe had been so close – closer than she had ever seen a mother and daughter, but that all changed overnight. Reagan became distant and quiet. Instead of the outgoing, smart, pretty little girl, Reagan became a recluse, and Reagan became broken. Even Angela hadn't been able to get the little girl to smile, and Reagan always smiled at Angela. But those smiles had left, and that little girl had faded away into someone far too old for her age.

Sometimes it had made Angela force back tears when she looked at Reagan, even though she didn't know what was wrong. There was an underlying sadness there – an emptiness in once bright eyes. It seemed as though Reagan's candle had been snuffed out. But once Reagan entered college, things had started to change for the better, and little by little, things got better. Though Reagan wasn't a child anymore, the sadness was still there, but it was so covered up with adult problems that it was well hidden, but Angela knew it was still there. There were still unresolved issues between Tempe and Reagan, and Angela was going to get them to talk, one way or another.

Reagan sat in her new office with her mother, and her Aunt. This was it, she was finally a real adult with a real job at one of the best medico-legal labs in the world. Now that her initial nervousness had faded away, an entire new wave of anxiety swept over her. Her dad was bringing in the man she would be working with to solve new crimes. She wondered what he'd look like? Did her dad pick someone handsome to be her partner? Or did he purposely pick the oldest and most undesirable agent to protect his little girl? She hoped that he had picked the former, and not because she wanted to go and get married to her partner, but she wanted someone who wouldn't be too hard on the eyes. And I love was a part of the picture, then all the better for them both.

There was a knock at the door, and here dad walked in. Reagan looked up at the man following him, and her heart did not flutter one bit. Yes, he was handsome – in fact, had Reagan seen him on the street, she probably would have done a double take – and yes, he even appeared to be close to her age, but the longer she looked at him, the more she felt nothing. Not even a twinge of attraction.

"Reagan, this is Special Agent Andrew Kensington. Andrew, this is my daughter, and your new partner, Dr. Reagan Booth."

"Pleased to meet you, Dr. Booth," Andrew said, shaking her hand. His grip was nice and firm. He flashed her a smile that reached his shining blue eyes. His sandy blonde hair was neatly combed and cut. As her Aunt Angela would say, here was a knight in shining FBI standard issue body armor.

"Nice to meet you as well. And please, call me Reagan." She smiled at him, and she could have sworn he'd almost swooned.

**So…what did you think?!? I think Andrew may have a crush on Reagan.**


	11. First Case

Thanks for the reviews! I'm really getting excited about where this is going. Perhaps you'll find out what happened between Reagan and Tempe soon…but we still have a few more Chapters to go. Until then, don't forget to click the review button!

_Dear Diary, May 25th, 2036_

_I got a call this morning from Quinn. She and her boyfriend have settled down in their apartment in Paris. She starts at the Louvre next week, and I'm so excited for her. I think she'll love it there – so much art and art history. Mom was sad to see her go, and so was dad. We all were, but we knew that she'd be happy. I'm surprised that Terrick went with her, but I guess that proves that he really loves her a lot, and that makes me even happier. I like seeing my sister happy, she's always been good to me, so she deserves this. _

_I've been spending a lot of time with Andrew…wait, not a lot, but we've been getting to know each other. We haven't had a case yet, which is making me antsy, I can't wait for fieldwork. We usually go out to lunch together, and we've had a few dinners with the rest of the gang at the lab. He's a really nice guy. The only thing that I don't like is how chivalrous he is. I mean, it's very nice to see that manners still exist in this day and age, but come on, do you have to open my car door every time? I mean, I can open it myself and I can even close the door too! I know his intentions are honorable, but it drives me crazy. I've been trying to think of a nice way to tell him. I haven't reached that comfort zone where I can just say, 'Cut it out,' to him. _

_Aunt Angela has been trying to make it out like he likes me, but I don't see it. I just think he's nice. Besides, we are two completely different personality types that would eventually clash. Plus, we haven't even had a case together yet, so we don't even know if we'll work well together. And I think it would be annoying if it didn't work out – I mean, I've spent the last week trying to teach him some of the terminology that we use in the lab, and surprisingly, he's picking it up rather well, although he can't remember the names of any of the bones. It's rather funny, maybe I'd go as far as saying that it's cute, but then I'd have to think about what Aunt Angela would say if I ever let it slip out that I thought it was cute. That would be a headache. _

_I sound like a schoolgirl don't I? Talking about how much I don't like him and yammering on with nothing to say…it's even annoying me. I don't like him…I can't like him. It doesn't make sense. I hardly know him at all, so it is because of that fact that I determine that I can't like him. Right? Arrrgggghhh!! Why is this so confusing! I'm not even attracted to him!_

_I'm just going to stop writing, this is aggravating me._

_Reagan_

Reagan shut her diary and put it back in her drawer. She had had enough of writing for one day, and she hoped that it would get Agent Kensington out of her head.

Her cell phone rang. "Booth."

"It's your partner. What are you doing?"

"Getting ready to go to bed. I have to be at the Jeffersonian early tomorrow. We have some ancient remains coming in for examination."

"Can I stop by?"

"What for?"

"Would it help if I said I had a case?"

"Really?!?" Reagan tried to hide her excitement. "What kind of case?"

"Some bones were found on a hiking trail in the Appalachians. The snow finally cleared out and the park rangers found it. Since it's on government property, it's a FBI case."

"They haven't touched the bones, right?"

"Was I supposed to ask that?"

"Yes! Touching them could compromise the integrity of the remains! Don't you know that?"

"Guess not. Look, I'll swing by and get you in an hour. Make sure you bring a few changes of clothes. We'll be out there until this is solved."

"Okay, bye." She hung up the phone. Her first case…she was officially beginning fieldwork! It was so exciting.

Reagan jumped up and grabbed her small suitcase. She threw in clothes that she knew would be appropriate for hiking trails in the mountains, and threw in a nicer outfit for good measure, just in case they went out to dinner somewhere. There was no need to look like a slob while doing fieldwork.

After Reagan finished packing, she called her parents house. "Booth." Her dad answered the phone.

"Isn't it supposed to be Booth residence? This isn't your private cell phone, dad."

"Hello to you too, sweetheart. What's up?"

"Andrew and I are headed out for our first case. He called me a little while ago."

"Where are you going?"

"Appalachians. Bones found on the trail when the snows cleared."

"Sounds like it's right up your alley then."

"Yeah, hopefully it doesn't go too badly. We're staying up there till the case is cracked. Tell mom that I'm sure we'll end up sending the bones to the lab, so we'll need lots of people working on them."

"I'm sure she knows that, Ray. After all, she's been doing this since before you were born."

"I know."

"Are you nervous?" Her dad always could tell things in her voice.

"A little. I just hope I do everything right."

"Hey, I'm sure you'll be fine. Besides, as long as you don't shoot anyone your first time out, you'll be better off than your mom was."

"True. Maybe I'll even get a permit to carry a concealed weapon," she goaded.

"Right…you just let Andrew take care of the shooting of things. You stay behind him."

"I won't play weak female dad. And in most cases historically, there were many women warriors. You have the myth of the Amazons – warrior women who often killed their men after mating with them."

"No mating with Andrew."

"Dad!"

"I'm just saying. Yours is a professional relationship."

"I know that. I was just trying to prove a point."

"I know, you and your mom start talking in that techno-babble and I can't make heads or tails of what you're saying."

"And you've been putting up with mom for years."

"I know."

The horn outside beeped signaling to Reagan that Andrew was waiting for her. "Listen dad, Andrew's here. I've got to go."

"Okay, be safe. Tell Andrew that if he doesn't protect you, I'll kill him myself."

" I will dad. Love you."

"Love you too, Ray. Bye."

"Bye." Ray snapped her cell phone shut and grabbed her suitcase. Shutting the lights in her apartment off, she opened the door and locked it behind her.

Andrew was waiting for her, leaning against the door of his SUV. Once she approached, he opened the door for her, and took her suitcase and put it in the trunk. He got in on the drivers side and put the car into gear.

"I have a message for you," Ray said, trying to keep the smile off her face.

"What's that?"

"If I die, then you'll die too, but it will be much more painful because it will be at the hands of my father."

"Ahh…thanks for the warning." With that, he flashed her his million-dollar smile.


	12. Thinking Of You

Thanks for the reviews! I love hearing your input and definitely wouldn't mind more! Bones was sooo good last night! My favorite episode so far! Yay for Jack & Angela, but it's a pity that Booth and Brennan didn't even hug each other. I mean, she did almost die, the situation warranted a hug. And the whole Cam/Booth relationship thing? That's not going to last. Reviews are welcomed and encouraged!

Reagan and Andrew arrived at the location of the remains near midnight. Despite it being May, it was still rather cold up in mountains, and Reagan pulled her coat around her tightly. Andrew was talking to the park rangers and asking them the typical investigative questions that he would normally ask. Reagan dropped her arms and put on a pair of rubber gloves. She knelt down near the remains and began her preliminary examination, waiting for Andrew before beginning the run down.

Andrew walked over and stood behind her with his arms crossed. "What have we got?"

"Well, my initial findings are that this was a man, around 30-40 years of age based on the amount of wear on the joints and teeth. There's still quite a bit of skin on the skeleton, which might allow us to pull some DNA to get a match. He seems to have been quite muscular, though growing older would have diminished that muscle tone. I'll be able to tell you more once we get to a morgue. Out here there's just too much stuff going on. Make sure you have them get soil samples from a four-foot radius around the body and have them sent to the Jeffersonian for examination. Once I've completed my exam at the morgue the bones need to be sent as well."

"Very well, Dr. Booth. I'll have the crime scene unit do as you ask, while we head into town and ask people about our missing person."

"How do you know he's a missing person?"

"Just a hunch."

"You sound just like my father."

"Thank you, I happen to like your father very much."

"You're relying too much on your gut. What if this man was dumped here before the snow got bad? We won't know until I get the results from the lab."

"And until then we'll operate under the assumption that he's a missing person."

"Whatever."

"Come on, Dr. Booth. Let's go someplace warm."

"I hope you mean let's go to a hotel and go to bed…in separate rooms of course. I've been up since 4am this morning, and I'm tired."

"That's exactly what I meant."

Reagan lay in her hotel room, wondering if the remains were being transported correctly. 'I should have gone with them to make sure things were done right. Mom would have gone with them.' She turned over in her bed and sighed. It was 2am and they had arrived at the hotel just over half an hour ago. Through the walls, she could hear Andrew moving around, laughing at the late night television – though what he was laughing at, she couldn't imagine, but at least he was laughing.

Sighing, she got up and walked into the bathroom. Maybe a shower would make her worry less. Reagan stripped off her clothes, laying them in a neat pile before turning on the water, which lacked any semblance of a good spray. It seemed as though it was only dripping fast out of the showerhead. 'This sucks,' she thought to herself before turning the water off and putting her clothes back on. 'So much for the first night out on a case being interesting. I could seriously use a bottle of wine right now, but I'm sure there's no place open at this time of night.'

Regan plopped back down on the bed and covered herself up with the blankets. She grabbed her iPod off the nightstand and put on the earphones.

On the other side of the wall, Andrew was getting ready to turn in as well. Pulling off his shirt, he climbed into the bed and shut the TV off. He could sleep to Leno, but not to infomercials. However, it wasn't the TV that was making it hard to sleep. Andrew's thoughts drifted to his partner in the other room. In fact, the reason he was always so tired is that his thoughts were constantly filled with Reagan Booth.

He had admitted it to himself – he really like Reagan and often thought of her as more than just a partner. The worst thing about it was that they hadn't even know each other for very long – and the fact that her father was his boss. He lay on his stomach in the bed, and closed his eyes, trying to think of anything to get her out of his head, but it didn't work.

The vision of her crouched down near the bones today came to his mind, and he smiled. Even when she was working she was gorgeous. Yes, he thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world, the smartest too. Her dad had said she was a genius, and that she was a lot like her mother, but Reagan wasn't like Dr. Brennan at all. Reagan was a warm, smiling person. He couldn't remember a time that he had seen Dr. Brennan smile. But Reagan smiled, and her smile was beautiful. He could tell it was genuine, and that was perhaps what he liked the most.

The thoughts of her weren't only filling his days, but they woke him up at night too. Images of what they could be often woke him up sweating and panting. He knew that these thoughts weren't appropriate, but he couldn't help it. He was crazy about her, and he hoped that one day she'd see that he felt that way, and she'd reciprocate the feelings as well. Hell, her parents fell in love working together; maybe there could be a repeat performance.

'Andrew, Andrew, Andrew…you are hopeless. She clearly just sees you as her partner. You've got to stop this before you get a death threat from her father and lose your job.' He sighed. 'I've known her for such a short time, but I look at her and feel like I've known her for my entire life. What a great FBI agent I am…I'm a sap. Great, just great…why me? FBI Agents are supposed to be detached…I am not detached. I'm so attached that I can't stop thinking about her.' He ran his hand over his face and closed his eyes.

'Sleep, Andrew. You've got to get up early to help her with the bones.' And with that, he closed his eyes, praying that his wandering thoughts would just let him sleep.


	13. Checking Up

**Disclaimer: Still don't own any of these characters but my own.**

**Author's Note: I guess I should have put this in the first Chapter, but I'm too lazy to go back and change it. Clearly, if you've followed my story this far, then you must like it, so this isn't directed toward you. However, I do not like flames…not one bit. I understand that not everyone may enjoy the story, so if that's the case, stop reading it! Don't leave nasty reviews! If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all…or just stop reading. I think people who leave bad reviews are insecure about their own writing so they feel that they must attack others. **

**To my loyal and kind readers, thank you for the support. This last week has been really busy for me so I've been behind on my posting. Hopefully the next Chapter will be up sometime Sunday evening because I'm going home for Thanksgiving. Please keep reviewing! I love to hear your inputs. Thanks again!**

Dear Diary,May 31, 2036 

_Well, the case is over. After much examination the team proved that the people were buried in an avalanche. We notified the families and returned the remains. I'm glad that it wasn't a case where someone had been murdered, but at the same time…I wish I had gotten a taste of actual fieldwork with the FBI. Hopefully Andrew comes around soon with a real case. It's not that I don't enjoy the historical work, I just like thing with a little controversy. Uncle Jack says that he rubbed off on me, but I hope that I'm not as conspiratorial and controversial as he is. _

_Today is Saturday…I don't know what I'm going to do. I could go in and work, but mom will be around and we don't work well together without supervision…we don't really talk at all. It's the most awkward silence ever. So, nix the idea of going to work. I could go for a run. It is lovely outside. I love DC in the spring. _

_Quinn sent me some pictures of Paris. It's lovely there right now, and her flat is just adorable. It's got this little terrace that overlooks a cobblestone street. It looks like it came out of a fairy tale. She also bought a puppy for her and Terrick. His name is Dantès, and he's a Beauceron, which isn't a widely known breed outside of France. They look a little bit like German Shepard's, but have markings like a Doberman. He's very cute. She loves him so much she says that she wants to get another one once they get a bigger place. _

_Special Agent Andrew Kensington has been avoiding me like the plague. Usually he calls and talks to me everyday, but I haven't heard from him since we got back. I hope everything is okay – I mean, he would call me if something were wrong, right? I should call later and make sure things are okay…without sounding needy of course. I don't' want him to think that I need him to call me everyday to check in. It's not like we're romantically involved – we're just partners. _

_Okay, going for that jog now, since I'll just talk myself into a hole. Reagan_

"So, Temperance, how is Reagan doing at the lab?" Seeley asked his wife. They were at Wong Fu's for lunch.

"She's doing great. She's really stepped up to the challenge of working with the FBI."

"Did you ever doubt she would?"

"Well, I didn't know how much her coursework would have prepared her, but she's doing good. Andrew seems to like her a lot."

"He better not like her too much."

"I don't think they have that kind of relationship. They're on good terms with each other and I think that's how it will stay."

"That's how it better stay. I won't let her get married until she's 40."

"Always the overprotective dad."

"Damn straight." Temperance smiled at him. He was a really good father. He always made sure that he was at his kid's school events when they were young, and he always spent time with them. Yes, Seeley Booth lived for seeing his children smile. Even now he hated seeing them get hurt, but he always knew how to make them smile.

"You're such a dad."

"Thanks," he smiled at her. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Reagan was running through the park near her apartment. Her iPod was on full blast, pumping out a song that made her want to run faster. It was so loud that she didn't hear the person coming up behind her…


	14. Afternoon Run

Thanks a lot for the awesome reviews! I just love you guys for the support. This chapter could end up being rather short since I'm writing it so late…but I think that you want to know what's going on with Reagan. Remember, I love to hear what you have to say, so please keep reviewing. It makes me excited to check my email knowing that your thoughts are there (and not just mounds of homework). Hopefully I will have this story done before the middle of December. I graduate with my BBA on December 9th, and I don't have a job yet, so things could be busy.

_Reagan was running through the park near her apartment. Her iPod was on full blast, pumping out a song that made her want to run faster. It was so loud that she didn't hear the person coming up behind her…_

"Well, I didn't expect to see you here." Reagan turned around, thankful that the person grabbing her was Andrew.

"You know you almost got you're a kicked back there? Don't grab me like that!"

"Sorry. I tried yelling after you, but you weren't paying attention." Reagan held up her headphones to show him that she was alert, just unable to hear. "I see…well…" now he didn't know what to say to her. A lighthearted situation had turned into one that was awkward. "I didn't know that you liked to run."

"I don't particularly enjoy running, I just didn't feel like going to the Office today. My mom is there and we don't always work well together."

"Yes, it is hard to work with family members."

"You can say that again. So you run?"

"Special Agents must stay in top physical form, so I go running once a day. My house isn't too far away from here, so I usually run here."

"Funny…my apartment is about two blocks away. Where do you live at?"

"About a block away from here. I have a town home."

"Wow, that must be nice."

"Well, I only moved in because I could keep my dog, so that was the dealmaker."

"Ahhh, a dog man. What kind of dog?"

"He's a Belgian Malinois named Maxwell."

"I've never seen one of those before."

"He's very smart, and really is a gentle giant. Though he does protect his territory."

"That's always a desired trait in a dog."

Andrew nodded. He didn't want to talk about his dog with her – he wanted to ravage her, but that would be highly inappropriate in the park. "Say, how about you come meet Max?"

"Oh, I don't know…I'm all sweaty right now."

"Max really doesn't care."

Reagan blushed. "No, of course he wouldn't, but I think I would."

"So, how about this…you come to dinner at my place tonight. I'll cook us a fabulous meal and you can meet Max. How does that sound?"

"You don't have to make plans just for me."

"Really, it's okay. I want to. So will you come?"

"Yeah, I will. What time?"

"Can you be there by seven thirty?"

"Sure," she said, smiling. Andrew wrote down his address for her and handed her the small slip of paper.

"So, I'll see you later then."

"Yeah, later." She waved goodbye to him and started her jog home.

Reagan's apartment looked like it had been ransacked by robbers, which it hadn't. No, this was Reagan's pre-date ritual. Every outfit in her closet was laid out and, one by one, eliminated. Tonight's outfit dilemma was proving even harder to solve. She didn't want to dress too casually, yet she ddin't want to be overdressed. Also, she had to worry about the kind of message her clothes sent. Clearly, a tutle neck was too standoffish, and a lox cut scoop neck was too come-hither. Finally, she settled on a light blue, boat-neck shirt and a white skirt. Since it was spring in DC, why not dress like spring? She threw on a pair of white slingbacks and put in a pair of silver dangle earrings before grabbing her handbag and leaving.

Getting into the car, she checked her make up one more time before making the seven minute drive to Andrew's house. Her heart pounded in her chest – even though it was supposed to be a friendly dinner, she couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement and nervousness.

The drive was a short one, and soon Reagan was standing on Andrew's doorstep, a bottle of wine in hand, ringing the doorbell.

Andrew wanted to be sure that this evening was perfect. Finally, he had gotten the nerve to ask Reagan to dinner, and he wanted to impress her. Since he loved to cook, what better way to entertain? He had prepared his desserts hours ago, and they were in the refrigerator chilling. His salads were in bowls on the table, and the main course was nearly ready.

Running to his room, he threw on a dress shirt, and left his tie on the tie rack. He didn't want this to seem too formal. After all, she really was only coming over to see his dog. Maxwell had been put away in the bedroom, and was now probably taking a nap. He was a rather lazy dog, but he was fierce in his loyalty. Andrew knew that Reagan had to pass the approval of Max before he could start a relationship. He knew that the thought was funny – a dog deciding if he could date a girl – but Max had a keen sense for people, and he knew whom he liked, and whom he did not. The only reason Andrew trusted his judgement was because of his previous bad relationships.

The first girl Andrew had brought to his new townhouse had not like Max at all. IN fact, she was positively terrified of him. Max had immediately slinked away and refused to make any appearances when she was around. Three months later, and he found out that she had been working her way through the FBI offices. Relationship done.

The second girl, Adrienne, was too nice. Max had immediately sensed that she wasn't what she portrayed, and he wouldn't let Adrienne anywhere near Andrew. They stopped dating after that night. She couldn't put up with a clingy dog.

The girls that followed were all the same, Max didn't like them, and Andrew learned to trust the dogs judgment. No need to set himself up for more pain. However, he hoped that tonight with Reagan went well, and that Max liked her.

Andrew turned the stove off and dished up the chicken piccata before covering it so it would stay warm.

The doorbell rang…


	15. Twenty Questions

I would like to say thanks again to all of my readers! You guys are the best. Sorry this has taken so long to post this Chapter. I have one more week of classes and one more week of exams before I am officially a college graduate, and I still don't have a job yet…so I'm still searching for my future. We'll see where life goes from here. Anyways, I still hope to have this finished sometime in the near future. I originally said the middle of December, but we'll see. I just got the first season of Bones on DVD and it's great! The commentary on Two Bodies In The Lab is hilarious. If you don't have it yet, please get it soon! Again, please keep reading & reviewing.

Andrew opened the door and smiled when he saw Reagan. She looked beautiful in a white skirt and light blue shirt. "Come in," he said, trying to cover up his blatant adoration.

"Thank for having me." She looked around at his place – it was nice, not at all like she had expected a bachelor pad to be. The walls were painted a warm green color and made the room inviting. A tan leather sofa, a chair and ottoman, and a coffee table made the living area complete. "Your house is great."

"Thanks, I'm glad that you like it. Come in. You can put your purse on the coat rack if you'd like."

"It smells wonderful in here. You really didn't have to go out of the way to cook for me."

"Hey, I like to cook, and I'm good at it too, so why not use my skill?"

"You make a good argument."

"Would you like something to drink? I have some really good red wine – it's a bottle that my parents gave me, and I think it's been aging for about ten years now."

"Wow, are you sure you want to waste it on me?"

"It wouldn't be a waste. You are my partner, after all."

"True." Andrew motioned her to the seat at the breakfast nook and took the wine out of the refrigerator where it had been chilling. He poured two large wine goblets full and handed her a glass.

"Dinner is ready if you are," he said. She got up and walked over to the table, and he pulled her chair out for her to sit down.

They chatted over their food, Reagan was surprised that Andrew was such a good cook, and complimented him about the food and his apartment some more. After dessert she helped him clear the table and put the dishes to soak, and once he refilled their wine goblets, they went into the living room to talk some more.

"So, I was under the impression that I was here to meet someone named Maxwell?"

"Ah, yes. Let me go get the gentleman." He flashed her his smile, which nearly made her blush had she not fought the urge, and went to a closed door. Once he opened it, Maxwell ran out.

At first Reagan thought she was seeing a German Shepherd Dog, but upon closer examination, Maxwell was slighter than a German Shepherd, and his coloring, while similar was more black overlay on tan rather than black and tan. All together, he was a very attractive dog. Maxwell ran up to Reagan and sniffed her leg. Lifting his head up, he looked at her squarely in the eyes before licking her hand.

"He seems to like you."

"Yeah, he does."

"Funny, he usually doesn't like girls – or at least the girls that I have over."

"Maybe it's because he doesn't feel like I'm threatening his status. He probably can sense that we're just friends, and he's okay with that."

Andrew, not liking her answer, ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know…he doesn't really like any women who come over here." Reagan shrugged and patted Maxwell's head.

"He is a gorgeous dog. When I was at school I took a class on animal standards and we did extensive studies on the various dog breeds. He looks like he could be a show dog."

"I have his AKC papers, but I like to keep him as a companion. He is a good protection dog, but I do have a gun that I keep in the house in case anything happens or someone breaks in. No problems so far, but it's better to be safe rather than sorry."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I've been meaning to get a gun. My dad doesn't want me to have one because he says I'm too much like my mother. When they were partners mom shot a guy without giving him warning and so he wouldn't let her have a gun for a long time after that."

"I've heard that story. Your mother is quite a character, though you'd never know it just by meeting her."

"She's interesting all right."

"So, how about we get to know each other a little bit better – I mean, we're partners, so we should be close and know stuff about each other."

"What kind of stuff?"

"I don't know…like what's your favorite kind of food, music, movie – just in general."

"Oh – so it's kind of like that game where you ask thing back and forth…what did Anne – Elise call it…twenty questions?"

"Yeah, it's a common game…so do you want to?"

"Sure. But you start." And as the evening progressed, the two got to know things about one another that they had never dreamed. Andrew had loved biology in school, but since his father had been a police officer, he thought that it was his duty to follow in his footsteps, but he only did so after getting a degree from Columbia in Criminal Justice. Andrew learned that Reagan actually hated running – the only reason she did it was because it could be done quickly so that she could stay fit and do her work. He smiled when she told him that she liked to sing. Funny, he hadn't seen her as someone who liked to sing, but now that she said it, he could see it. Their conversation lasted three hours; neither realizing how much time was going by or that Max and placed his head protectively on Reagan's knee.

When Reagan looked at her watch and it said 11:30pm, she was shocked. She knew that she would get along with Andrew, but she never imagined spending hours talking with him. But it did feel good – she hadn't had this in a relationship before…it was rather nice. No one had ever cared what kind of music she liked or what she did after long hours of work or study.

Half an hour later, Reagan was having trouble staying awake. Not that Andrew was boring, but after four big glasses of wine, just sitting and talking was not providing enough stimulation for her, and her mind was sleepy. After her third yawn, she told Andrew she should head home.

"I had a really great time tonight. Thanks for having me over."

"Anytime," he said sweetly, "I really enjoy your company."

"Yeah, it was nice to have someone to talk to. I haven't had that for awhile."

"Well, you can talk to me anytime. I'll always listen." She smiled at him, and he smiled back. A stray strand of hair made its way in front of her eyes, and he lifted his hand and pushed it back behind her ear. _Okay Andrew, this is it…the way she's looking at you…kiss her. _ Reagan looked at him, trying to hide how nervous she was and the fact that she secretly wanted to know what it would be like to kiss him.

Andrew ran his thumb over her cheek and began to lean in. His heart was beating a hundred miles an hour, nervous that he'd scare her away, but also excited that he could actually have a chance with her.

Reagan watched as he moved closer to her and once he leaned in close enough, she met him the rest of the way. Their lips met…_he's a wonderful kisser. _


	16. Scold & Warn

Thanks for all of the reviews for the last Chapter. I know you guys want to know whats going on with Reagan and Tempe, but in order for that to happen, I really need to develop the relationship between Andrew and Reagan first. You know how I keep saying how much Reagan is like Tempe? Well, this relationship is going to be like Tempe and Booth, except this time they are both ready to fall in love…but are they ready to meet the resistance to their relationship from those they care most about? Again, reviews are appreciated. Hopefully I will be able to crank out a few Chapters today since I don't have any plans. Thanks for reading!

_Dear Diary, June 2nd, 2036_

_Can't write for long, I'm almost late for work. I just had to tell you that Andrew is wonderful…and no, I didn't sleep with him. We just spent all day yesterday together getting to know each other. I'll write more later. _

_  
Reagan_

Reagan walked into the Jeffersonian twenty minutes late to meet a grimfaced bunch of Squints. She swiped her card before walking up onto the platform. "What's going on? Why is everyone so sour faced?"

"A new case," her mother said almost angriliy, "you were late so your partner had to tell us about it."

"I'm sorry, I accidentally overslept. It's not like I did it on purpose, mother."

"Being late could lose you your job. Remember that," Temperance said, handing Reagan the casefile. "The FBI found the bodies of three children in a ravine in Virginia. The remains are mostly bone, Hodgins is working on the organic materials. Start your ID." Reagan nodded her head and went over to the table where one of the small bodies lay – well, it wasn't really a body, just some small bones. Reagan slipped on her gloves and began her examination.

"Do you know when Andrew is going to be back?"

"No, he didn't say, sweetie," Angela said, trying to be nice to her neice. Tempe was obviously upset, though she could barely fathom why. Reagan ahd only been twenty minutes late, which was no reason to treat her like a second class citizen.

"Thanks. Once I'm done here, you can take the skulls and work on an ID." Reagan identified all three bodies as Caucasoid, two male, one female, all being around the age seven. Cause of death appeared to be garroting, though the marks were not big enough to be a normal sized rope. Once she was done, she handed the bones over to the others and went to see if she could get in touch with Andrew. She needed to know more about the case.

Andrew walked into the Jeffersonian with a little bounce in his step. He had already been on his way back when Reagan called asking for more information about their new case. He recalled the way her voice sounded when she talked to him – happy to hear his voice, but also focused on the case at hand. It was that phone call that gave him confidence that may be he could ask her out again. He didn't want to compromise their working relationship first and foremost. He liked working with her, and even though he would like to be more than just partners, he was still realistic that their jobs might not make it easy for them.

Not seeing Reagan on the platform, Andrew went straight to her office door and knocked. He heard a muffled voice from behind the door and assumed it was a "come in," and walked in. Reagan was at her computer staring at scans of the bones of the three bodies, comparing pieces of the cervical vertebrae from each victim.

"So, Dr. Booth, what can you tell me?" Reagan looked up and half smiled.

"This is a rotten case – someone garroted these three kids."

"They hung them?"

"No, the indentures in the bone are too small to be a rope. It was something more along the lines of a cheese wire. Angela's doing the reconstructions of their faces now so we can run them through the missing persons database."

"Is anything else wrong?"

"Just the fact that its three kids in there on the table. Not to say that it isn't terrible to take an adults life, but these kids didn't even have a chance. We could have the person who develops a cure for cancer on one of those tables, but we'll never know because some sick freak had to take their lives. I can't believe…I'm trying to distance myself, but its hard when I think like that. If I just think of them as bones it's easier."

"Hey, it just shows that your human, Reagan. There's nothing wrong with emotions."

"Well, I have to be tough. If my mother knew that I was having such a hard time with this, I'd be in trouble."

"You can't be in trouble for having feelings."

"Have you met my mother?" Andrew smiled.

"Well, if you need to get away from the lab, I'll just have to take you away."

"I want to get an ID on these kids first, and then we can find their families. If it was my child, I'd want to know. And then we need to find the bastard who did this to them."

Andrew nodded and stood up when Reagan did. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her that things would be alright, but he knew that three kids being dead wasn't alright.

"Come on," Reagan said standing up. "I should show you what I'm talking about. The more I teach you in our early cases, the more you'll understand the later ones." Andrew followed her to Angela's office, where Angela was working on facial reconstructions.

Later that day, when Reagan was trying to guage the thickness of the garroting wire, Tempe came up next to her.

"Your behavior today was unprofessional, Reagan."

Reagan looked up at her mother and supervisor. "What are you talking about? I did nothing unprofessional at all. I did my job."

"Your behavior around Agent Kensington was extremely unprofessional."

"What are you talking about?"

"You shouldn't involved with your partner. Your father didn't pair you two together for that to happen. It should be a purely work based relationship."

"It is. Besides, you and dad worked together and fell in love. Would it really be so bad if it happened to me? Or are you saying that you and dad getting together was a mistake?"

"Your father and I had worked together for years before we got married. You just met Agent Kensington."

"I promise, you've got nothing to worry about. We're just becoming friends, that's all. Am I not allowed to have friends?"

"I would just like you to keep in mind the fact that you can be assigned a new partner if things start to happen that are inappropriate."

"Well then I'll just make sure they don't happen then." Reagan snatched the case file from the table and left the platform.

_Dear Diary,June 2nd, 2036_

_Today was one of the worst days ever…three little kids dead and my mother is threatening to take my partner away. What am I going to do? I know that I don't pray very often, but maybe I'll find guidance someplace else. What do I do, God?_

_Reagan_


	17. Could We Try?

Thanks for all of the review for the last two Chapters. I have two more weeks left at school before I move home for Christmas, and I really wanted to finish this story before then. I will post this Chapter and then possibly another one tomorrow. We'll have to see how far I get into my homework for my Economics capstone…I just love Econ! Anyways, reviews are appreciated and definitely add to the excitement of writing. Thanks for reading!

_Dear DiaryJune 5th, 2036_

_Still the case of our three dead children goes on…it's so emotionally taxing that I can barely look at their skeletons. Dad would say that this is one area that I definitely differ from my mother. She can look at anything dead and be emotionally detached. Hell, she can look at me, living and breathing, and be emotionally detached. I can't believe that she threatened me the other day! And what is most unbelievable is that I let myself be threatened by her…I was so weak! _

_I've been avoiding Andrew too. He thinks he did something wrong, and he didn't. I just don't want to display any behavior that would make us get split up. I'm doing this because I like him a lot. I wish I could tell him that I like him – it might make things simpler for me. I think he likes me too…I hope he does, at least. _

_Oh…phone._

"Booth," Reagan answered.

"Hey." It was Andrew. "I haven't heard from you in a few days. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, things are fine. I've just been busy trying to help in the lab for the case."

"I've tried to call you a few times, and you haven't answered or returned any of my calls. Are you sure things are okay?"

"Really, everything is fine."

"I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable at all the other night. It's just…" she stopped him.

"You are a perfect gentleman, and the other night…well, it was wonderful. I just think that we should be cautious. If something got in the way of our partnership and it affected our job, well, we'd be in trouble. I don't want that to happen. But if I'm being honest, I really do like you more than just as a partner."

"I feel the same way. Do you think, maybe, if we were very careful, we could see each other?"

"Only if we made sure no one at the lab even suspected that we were together. If my parents found out…there would be trouble. They might even go so far as to split us up if they thought that it was affecting our work. That's why we've got to be careful."

"Okay, I'll agree to that. Would you like to meet me for coffee?"

"Where?"

"How about I come pick you up and we'll decide from there."

"How about we go someplace that we can walk to? It's such a gorgeous evening."

"We can do that."

"There's a coffee shop two blocks away from me, if you want to come over here and then we can walk over there."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you soon."

"Alright, bye."

"Bye."

_He's on his way here. I told him I like him…he said he likes me too! I'll tell you about our date later!_

_Reagan_

Reagan threw on another outfit – a nice pair of jeans and a bohemian top that fit her very well. Running into the bathroom, she fixed her hair and makeup before getting up and looking for a cute pair of shoes. Boots wouldn't work…to warm out. Sandals…not warm enough. Strappy heels…that would have to do. She slid them on and picked up her room a bit on her way out. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute, like she had run a marathon.

She had her apartment nearly cleaned when the doorbell rang. She went to the door, fluffed her hair, and opened it. There was Andrew, in a crisp white t-shirt, and a pair of faded blue jeans. He looked absolutely gorgeous.

"Hi," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back at him.

"Do you want to come in? I'm mostly ready. I was just trying to pick up some stuff before you got here."

"You don't have to clean up for me."

"Well, I didn't want all my notes everywhere. IT was getting a little hard to walk."

"Taking work home?"

"Just notes on this case. Pictures of the remains so that I can compare them to textbook cases on garroting."

"Sounds like fun."

"Helps keep my mind busy."

"Your place is really nice."

"Thanks. I like it a lot here. It's a good area of town."

"Yeah, it is. Now I don't have to worry about you getting hurt or something."

"You worry about me?"

"Of course, you're my partner."

Reagan smiled at him, and he smiled back. The electricity was thick in the air between them. "So, the café is just down the road. Ready to go?"

"Sure." She grabbed her handbag and pulled out her keys. He opened the door for her and held it when she walked out. After locking the door, they made their way to the coffee shop.

"Bones, you here?" It was Seeley. He had gone home to find his wife missing, and had assumed she was still at work. And, as usual, he was right.

"I'm here, Booth. Sorry, I just wanted to look at something with this case."

"The three kids?"

"Yes. There are some interesting things here."

"How's Ray doing?"

"I think she's doing well. Her examination of the bones is very thorough," she said with a smile. "I'm a little worried about her relationship with her partner though…they are getting close."

"They should be. We were close, remember."

"For years, we just worked together and were friends. I think Andrew and Reagan are becoming something more. I don't want their relationship affecting the lab."

"Well, I can tell Andrew to be careful and make sure he knows that things at the lab need to be professional. But remember, Tempe, that if things are meant to be, it's hard to fight them."

"I know. I just want her to behave rationally."

"You want her to be an old cat lady. You have to let her go, Tempe. I know it's hard to do, but she's an adult now."

"I'm well aware she's an adult. That doesn't mean that I can't give her advice."

"And that doesn't mean that she has to follow it. Just don't push things. I know that you and Ray don't get along very well, for reasons I can't understand since you won't tell me, but remember that she's an adult. We raised a good kid."

"Yeah, I hope so."

"So, you ready to go home, Bones?"

"Yeah, I'm ready." Temperance turned off her lamp and left with her husband.


	18. No Arguing With Them

Their time at the coffee shop had been short – his phone rang half way through their coffee and they had to go investigate a lead in their case. "We can take my car since you walked here," Reagan said.

"But I always drive."

"Well, I'm going to drive today. I'll go have them put these in disposable cups." She stood up, and walked to the counter with both of their coffees in hand. Once both beverages were in paper cups, they left the shop. "What sort of lead is this?"

"Someone who has a history with taking children. Supposedly he's a reformed molester, but I say, once a molester, always a molester."

"Yes, humans don't change as often as we'd like to think. Are we going to have backup going in?"

"No, since he's not convicted, we're just going to pay him a visit. But don't worry, I've got your back." He put his arm around her shoulders and smiled at her.

"I know you do. Pity it had to interrupt our coffee break though."

"Well, I can make it up to you. We can go again later."

"Yeah, we could…or you could come over to my place afterwards and we could have dinner there. I can cook. My dad taught me how."

"I didn't know your dad cooked?"

"Yeah, he's actually really good. My mom never really had the time to do a lot of cooking, so dad would take over. But anyways, I don't really feel like talking about my parents. Why don't you tell me about your family and you?"

"Okay. Well, I was born in New Jersey, and my dad wasn't around when I was a kid. I have four brothers, and I'm the youngest. My mom raised us all by herself until she married my step-dad when I was ten. She's a great lady, strong."

"It sounds like it. I don't think I could even fathom raising five boys all by myself."

"Well, I hope that you never have to." He smiled at her again, and she smiled back. Reagan couldn't help but feel at ease when he was around her. His smile seemed to make all the bad things go away, and for a moment she could feel like she was a person without a painful past. His arm around her shoulders tightened and he pulled her in for a quick kiss.

He smiled at her once their lips broke apart, and she smiled back, trying not to drool too much. He was a divine kisser. "Okay, now that I've told you about my family, tell me more about yours. All I know is that your dad is a big shot at the FBI and your mom is a big shot at the Jeffersonian. Well, my father is the Deputy Director of the FBI, and my mother is Head of Anthropology at the Jeffersonian. I am the youngest of four kids. My brother Parker is 34, and he's got kids and a wife. My brother Peyton is a confirmed bachelor who lives in New York. My sister Quinn and her boyfriend live in Paris together. She works at the Louvre, and he's working on getting his investments licenses so he can resume his job as an investment banker. And then there's me…I'm the youngest. People say I'm a genius, but there's times that I wonder if I'm really that smart. I'm closest to Quinn, but that's because we're closest in age."

"You have almost as many siblings as I have. Does that make you want a large family?"

"I want children one day, yes. As to how many, I'm not sure. I guess I just want to be sure that my kids always know that I love them no matter what, and that I'll always be there for them. I didn't have that when I was younger, and children need that."

"That's good. I want my kids to have a father, and I never want my wife to have to raise my kids by herself."

Reagan smiled, thinking that maybe one day it would be the two of them together with a brood of beautiful children.

"Bones!" Temperance looked up to see her husband rushing up to the platform in the lab.

"What's going on?"

"It's Andrew and Reagan. They went to check out a lead on the case and the guy at the house shot a gun. It passed through Andrew and into Reagan's side. They're at the hospital."

Temperance rushed off of the platform and they were off to the hospital.

"_Please let my little girl be alright."_

The gunshot wounds were not fatal, though Andrew was in considerably more pain than Reagan. He had two broken ribs and a hole through his side, while Reagan only had had a bullet stuck in her side. The doctors had extracted it with ease, and she was lucky that it was only a flesh wound. After the extraction, the doctors had released her with some pain medication. Reagan was sitting by Andrew's bedside when her family came in.

"What happened?" Temperance asked. "Why aren't you lying down?"

"They released me. Mine was only a flesh wound. The bullet went through Andrew so he's got a bit more damage."

"Are you okay?" Booth asked, looking her in the eyes, searching for any hint of pain.

"I'm fine. I just hope that you arrest the bastard who shot us. I mean, we knocked, Andrew showed him his badge, we went in, and when the guy turned around he had a gun and shot at us."

"Well, at least you're safe."

"I did my best to protect her," Andrew said softly, "but I failed."

"Hey," Reagan said, looking into his eyes, "it's not your fault that the bullet went through you and into me. You put yourself in front of that bullet for me. I could have been killed and you made it so we both lived. Don't say you failed."

He smiled at her, and reached for her hand. She squeezed his gently. "We need to investigate that man's home. He could very well have been the one who killed those kids."

"Yeah, dad. Have them look for a garroting wire or anything else that could have been used in a similar fashion. I'll have a look at it when I get back to work.

"You're going to take a rest, young lady," Booth said. "Getting shot is a serious wound, and I want you to be well."

"Alright, dad. If you insist on being so protective."

"You're my little girl. I have a right to be protective. Take a few days off of work to recover…"

"Not until this case is solved. I can't let another little kid die. We have to know the truth. I can work in the lab, and let you handle the fieldwork, but we have to do this."

"I'm going to help too." Andrew tried to sit up, but winced noticeably.

"You're going home to bed once they release you," Reagan stated, "and that is an order."

"Alright, alright. Can't argue with these women, can you?" Andrew asked looking at Booth.

"No, you certainly can't."


	19. Alpha Males

Thanks for all of your reviews. I'm sorry I haven't updated much lately, but I've been really busy. I'm finally a college graduate! My exams are over, and in a few days I move back home until I either get a job or I start grad school. We'll see what the future brings. Anyways, hopefully I'll be able to get a few updates in the upcoming days. I'd like to finish the story before the New Year. Bones was amazing tonight! Can't wait to see what happens! Remember, reviews are lifeblood. Oh, remember, I don't own any of the Bones characters…only those of my own creation. Also, there is talk of things just above PG-13, but no actual action, so if you are sensitive to that kind of thing please stop reading here.

_Dear Diary, August 5th, 2036_

_It is two months to the day that Andrew and I got shot, and things have changed a lot since then. After Andrew was released, I made sure he stayed at home resting, and my dad and I solved the case. Surprisingly enough, my mother seemed worried that I'd over do it, and I did. I was out of work for four days because of the pain after the case was solved. The man who shot at us was the one who had killed the children. Bastard…I hope he rots. _

_A lot has changed, like I said before. Quinn called about a month ago and told everyone that Terrick proposed to her below the Eiffel Tower. She said it was the most romantic thing he's ever done, though I find it hard to believe. He's always done things like that for her. Her wedding is in two months. She told me that she's waited a long time for him to propose and now that he has, she's not going to let him get away. We're all going to go over there for a lovely fall wedding in Bordeaux. They've rented a place called Le Chateau Bonaparte. Apparently it was a place that Napoleon used to stay when he was in town. She's sent me a few pictures, and it looks lovely. _

_Andrew and I have become more involved. We are officially a couple, though my family (other than Quinn) has no idea. Mom's threat will always be in the back of my mind, and I don't want to work with anyone else. I feel like I could be in love with him, but neither one of us have said it yet. I don't know…what if all I feel is infatuation? And would it be infatuation? It's not like we've slept together, although we've come pretty damn close to doing just that on my couch, on his couch, in the kitchen. I feel like a horny teenager when I'm around him. I can barely keep my hands to myself…except at work. There the hands stay firmly glued to the exam table. _

_I'm thinking about asking him to come to the wedding with me as my date…of course, my family will think he's coming as my friend since I have a dismal love life. If only they knew… _

_I'm also thinking about getting a pet. I'm not a workaholic like my mother, so I could definitely dedicate the time needed to train a pet. Maybe a dog…a medium sized one that would get along well with Maxwell. I'll tell you what I'm thinking about._

_Samoyed – these are white fluffy dogs that have thick fur like a husky. Descriptions say that they are very good mannered._

_Schipperke – smaller dog, easy to train, very loyal. _

_Basenji – they say it keeps itself clean like a cat, it doesn't shed, likes to jog, and is independent. (Maybe it won't be lonely when I'm at work)._

_I don't know…they all look so great. Andrew thinks I should get a Samoyed, and I think he might be right. I like bigger dogs, but the Basenji may be closer to what I'm looking for. I'll have to see where the breeders are._

_Anyways, Andrew is on his way over for dinner. We've been switching on and off who cooks and where we go. Tonight it's my turn. I think I'm on my way to being happy now._

_Always,_

_Reagan_

There was a knock on the door. "I'm coming, hold on!" Reagan set the hot pan on the stove and ran to the door. It was Andrew, grinning at her like a fool. "What?" she asked, smiling back.

"I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?"

"Is the food ready?"

"Yes, it is…why? Did you decide to take me out?"

"No, I just want to make sure that the stuff won't burn."

"Why would it burn?"

"You'll see." With that, he walked down the steps of her apartment and down to his car. He stopped once he reached his car door. "You have to close your eyes."

"I hate surprises, Andrew."

"This is one that I promise you'll like."

"Fine." Reagan closed her eyes, and put her hands on her hips. She heard his footsteps as he climbed the stairs.

"Put your arms out."

"You're going through a lot of trouble just to get a hug. You could have asked."

"Just put your arms out."

"Okay…" she put her arms out, and felt a large package type object in it. "Is this a Christmas present or something? I mean, it's August…"

"You can open your eyes now," he said, cutting her off.

When Reagan opened her eyes, a basket was in her arms. In the basket was the cutest puppy she had ever seen.

"It's a Samoyed puppy!" Reagan's face lit up as she took the basket inside and put it on the floor. "He's so cute."

"She. I had to get my girl a girl."

"Andrew, this is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me. Thank you." She put her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, all the while keeping an eye on the white bundle of fluff that was wandering around her apartment.

"Well, you took such good care of me when I got shot, I felt that I should repay you somehow."

"I love her, she's perfect, but you never had to repay me. I took care of you because I care about you."

"Well, this is my way of saying thanks, and a way to make sure that no one can break into your apartment ever."

"Once she gets bigger I think she'll be a better guard dog." Reagan kissed his cheek before sitting on the ground to play with the puppy. "Oh, dinner is on the stove, it's ready to be dished up."

"I'll dish yours up and bring it in here so you can play with her."

"Thanks." Her eyes met his. "Thank you so much."

"I can't believe Quinn is getting married," Booth said, flipping through the old family photo album.

"Well, Terrick is a good candidate for a husband. He's not overly Alpha Male."

"Hey, you married an Alpha Male."

"I know I did. You've mellowed with age," Temperance goaded him.

"Is that so, Dr. Brennan?"

"It is," she smiled. "Anyways, what should we get her as a gift? Terrick already has paid for the wedding."

"Maybe we should pay for their honeymoon."

"I'll have to ask her about it, and exactly where they want to go."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. You're so smart, Bones." Temperance smiled at him, and sat down on the arm of his chair. "Look at these pictures. Look how gorgeous our kids were…still are."

"Quinn is so much like you, Booth."

"Well, she got her brains and beauty from her mom, but I'm proud to say she's a chip off the old block. And Ray, well, she's just like you, Bones."

"I think Quinn looks like my mom," she said, changing the subject.

"Bones, why do you always change the subject when I talk about Reagan?"


	20. Impressionable Events

Wow! The amount of reviews from the last chapter was amazing! Thanks for all the reading that's been going on out there. Anyways, here's the next Chapter. I hope that you enjoy it as much as you did the last!  Some of you commented that I need to make divisions of parts better…funny, I've been doing that, but I just looked and it's not showing up. Sorry that it has taken so long for me to update. What with Christmas and everything, life has been crazy. Reviews are appreciated!

**Chapter 20**

"I don't always change the subject, Booth."

"Yes, you do. Every time I bring up Reagan you want to talk about something else. Did you get into a fight with her?"

"Of course not, we're both rational adults."

"But you're mother and daughter too. Come on, Tempe. You can tell me if you fought."

"You're so much easier to deal with when you call me Bones," she sighed as she sat down across from him. "Where to start. It happened…" And Booth listened to his wife's tale.

_Dear Diary, August 6th, 2036_

_Have I mentioned how wonderful my boyfriend is? He bought me a puppy last night - a little girl Samoyed that I named Sasha. She's the sweetest thing in the world! But the best things happened after Sasha was in bed for the night. _

_We were sitting in my living room listening to the crickets chirping outside, and he turned and looked at me. It was then that he said, "I don't want to scare you away, but I think that I'm falling in love with you." The look on his face was the most sincere thing I've ever seen. _

"_I think I may be falling for you too, Andrew." He smiled when I said that. Have I told you about his smile? It's amazing. Every time he smiles my heart beats faster. It must be the adrenaline rush that I get because of my feelings for him. Yes, I'll admit it to you – I've already fallen for him. I just want to be careful, because what if it doesn't work out? What if we end up breaking up and we still have to work together. It would just be a bad state of affairs, and then my mother would definitely know that something had been going on between us. _

_After that the kisses turned into a hot and heavy make out session, which turned into an all night event. It's about 7am right now, and he's sleeping in bed beside me. It feels nice to have someone that I care about and who cares about me waking up next to me. It almost gives me a feeling of home. I may be being mature, but I could get used to this. _

_Tomorrow I plan on asking him to my sister's wedding. It will be hard though; especially trying to convince my family I just invited him as a friend. Maybe I should just get over it and tell them that we're together…I'm just nervous about what could happen if we don't stay together. Maybe I'll wait until things have progressed. I'm so afraid of being premature about things…I'm worried about what could happen so much._

_Why does this stuff make you an emotional basket case? I'm a very rational person, and I can't even figure out whether or not we should go to a wedding together._

_I'm going to stop worrying about this now…I have a gorgeous man in my bed._

_Reagan_

"Good morning," Andrew said, smiling up at Reagan. She returned his smile and leaned down and kissed him.

"Good morning to you too."

"I like this."

"What?"

"Waking up next to you."

"I like it too." Andrew closed the distance between them and kissed her. "We should probably get ready for work."

"Yeah," he said, running a hand through his sandy blonde hair, "your dad is a ball buster sometimes. Never can be late."

"My mom is worse, believe me. Late is unheard of at the Jeffersonian, especially from me."

"Well, we'll just have to let them know that you might be late sometimes, and so will I. I mean, mornings like this are meant for one thing." He ran his hand over her naked shoulder slowly, making goose bumps rise.

"We should plan these for the weekend, then. If we do that, then we can stay in bed as long as we want."

"It's a deal." He smiled at her and kissed her once again. "Now, before we both get our balls busted, let's get up. I still have to run home and get some fresh clothes."

"Oh, yeah. I should have gotten you up when I woke up. You just looked so peaceful sleeping there, I hardly had the heart to wake you."

"Such a sweet, wonderful, beautiful woman."

Reagan blushed and Andrew smiled at her once again. He could hardly contain himself – when she blushed he wanted to kiss it away from her beautiful cheeks. "I should go check on Sasha," Reagan said, getting up and pulling the sheets around her body. All of a sudden, she was feeling shy.

"I'll just get dressed and head on home. I bet Max has to go to the bathroom."

"I hope he didn't make a mess in your house."

"He's a good boy. I'm sure he's fine." He rolled off the bed, and plucked his boxers up from their spot on the floor. While Reagan checked on Sasha, Andrew dressed in the bedroom. Last night had been a dream for him and had only reconfirmed the fact that he was falling in love with the perfect woman. He also was elated that she was falling in love with him.

Ten minutes later, after a lengthy kiss goodbye, and a promise to pick her up and take her to work, Andrew left with a new bounce in his step.

"I'm going to be late, Booth. I'm never late."

"We're going to finish this story now, Temperance. I can't believe I didn't notice…all these years."

"I didn't want to worry you."

"You're my family, Bones!"

"See! You're overreacting already."

"I'm not overreacting. I'm merely trying to digest what you told me about what happened. I can't believe…I just can't."

"Well, it's what happened, and I don't know if it can ever be changed."


	21. Quinn's Wedding

Thanks for all of the reviews! I know that I left it as a cliffy, and that was on purpose. I will reveal what Bones told Booth in time…you have three more chapters before you find out, but don't stop reading. I already have what is going to be said in mind, and it will be good! Hope you all had a happy holiday, and hopefully I will finish this soon. I'm still job-hunting, so I haven't had a lot of time to write. Reviews are lifeblood!

_Dear Diary, October 15th, 2036_

_It's about 4am back in DC, and I am sitting on a plane next to Andrew going to France for my sister's wedding. When we arrive at Charles de Gaulle, it will be three in the afternoon. Behind me are my mother, my father, my brothers, my sister-in-law and niece and nephew, and the Hodgins family. Uncle Zach is coming alone, as his wife can't fly this far into her pregnancy. Everyone around me is sleeping now, and it's strange to watch people sleep, so I decided to write. I've never been able to sleep on planes very well – I guess I've always been a bit paranoid, so I'm hypersensitive to the moods of the stewardesses. Strange, yes, but then again, I've never been normal. _

_My mother was surprised that Andrew was coming, but I assured her that I asked him to come because everyone else had someone with him or her, and I didn't want to be alone. Hell, even Payton has his girlfriend with him, so I figured I'd bring a close friend. She bought the excuse._

_It annoys me that she can't accept the fact that I can have a professional and a personal relationship with someone…but she never was very accepting of me anyways. _

_I'll tell you a little bit about the past few months of my life. At work, things have been fulfilling. We've had ten field cases, and have identified the victim and have put the murderer in jail. That's the best part – seeing Andrew cuff the bastards who kill unsuspecting people. I've even received praise from my mother on the stand up job we've been doing, and Andrew received a pay raise from my father. Things with Andrew and I have been wonderful. We alternate every night at each other's houses, and the dogs are becoming fast friends as well. Maxwell feels that he needs to protect Sasha, just like Andrew feels that he always needs to protect me.  Andrew has also invited me to join him at the FBI Banquet three weeks after we get back. My parents will not be attending this banquet because it is their anniversary and dad will be taking mom away for an entire week. That week also allows me to have a little freedom at work…a little breathing room. _

_I'm anxious to see the Chateau that the wedding is going to be in – Quinn said that it is in one of the most historically important places in France – Dordogne, a place called Domaine de Perigord – and that Andrew and I get our own cottage. That will be nice. She's got mom and dad in the main house, Parker and his family in a cottage, The Hodgins' in a cottage, Payton and his girlfriend have a cottage, and the rest of the family is in the main house. There are a few other cottages with Terrick's family in them, but I can't remember all of their names. So far, Quinn is the only one who knows that Andrew and I are seeing each other…well, I'm wrong. Aunt Angela also knows because she's in tune to that sort of thing. Anyways, Quinn promised to be discrete when talking around my mother._

_Hopefully things go well…I'm happy that my sister is happy. Now I'm going to read for a little while, which will hopefully tire me out._

_Happy Landings!_

_Reagan_

Quinn ran to hug her mother and father as they got off the train in Bergenac. Everyone was smiling, happy to see one another after a long separation and major life changes. After a thirty-minute car ride, the taxis pulled up outside of a beautiful castle.

"I can't believe this is where you're getting married, sis," Payton said, throwing his arm over Quinn's shoulder.

"I know, isn't it amazing? Terrick spoils me."

"Just don't become a hoity rich girl, okay?" Payton gave her the classic Booth smile.

"I'll always be me. Terrick would be upset if I changed one bit."

"He's a lucky man, to get a Booth woman," Seeley said smirking, "but there's no one so lucky as a woman who gets a Booth man." He looked at his wife.

"I don't know what that means," she said jokingly.

"Very funny, Bones, very funny."

"Alright, let's quit the bickering. I bet you're all tired, so let's get the arrangements set up and you can all go rest. I have keys here for Payton, Parker, Reagan and Uncle Jack." She handed out the keys. "There are seven cottages on this property, each have names near the door. Just match the keys to the names on the door and you have your accommodations. Mom, Dad, Uncle Zach, Nora, Lucie, Stella, and Billy are staying in the main house with Terrick and I, so you guys can follow me and the luggage will be brought in later. Cottage folk will have to take their own stuff with them…sorry."

"Hey, it's alright sis. Now I can have some alone time with the girlfriend."

"Is that all I am to you? The girlfriend?"

"Sorry, Lena. You know I love you, right?"

"Yes, I know Payton. Grab our bags."

"Later, everyone." Payton grabbed their luggage and went in search of their cabins.

"Since it's seven now, we'll have a late dinner around ten, so be at the main house, okay?" Everyone responded with murmurs before setting off.

"It was nice of your sister to give us a cottage."

"Yeah, well she's the only one in the family other than Aunt Angela who knows that we're together. I'm sure my dad has figured it out though."

"He's kind of hinted at something between us, but he's never flat out asked me."

"My dad would be fine with it, but my mother would not. She doesn't like it when professional and personal lives overlap."

"But hers did, didn't it?"

"Yeah, but she's the only exception to the rule."

"Oooh, I see. Well, anyways…this place is gorgeous," Andrew said, opening the door for me.

"It really is. I never once though I'd be spending time in a villa in France. This is so amazing."

"Terrick must make a lot of money, huh?"

"Tons…he was really successful before he left the US, but I guess he's really in his element here, and my sister makes quite a bit of money at the Louvre. She's actually applying for a higher position since she's done so well."

"Good for her."

"Yeah, I'm glad she's happy here. She deserves it."

"Come on, let's go test the beds."

"Yes, I'm exhausted."

"Well, after a bath and a little fun, you'll be more tired."

"Yes, I think you're right."

Quinn's wedding took place on the lawn of Domaine de Perigord in a beautiful fall ceremony with autumn colors. The bridesmaids – Reagan, Lucie, Nora, and Stella, wore dresses the color of fall leaves, and the groomsmen had leaves and an acorn for boutonnieres.

Quinn was a glowing bride. Her dress was a Givenchy couture full skirted gown, and her bouquet was a mixture of fall flowers and leaves.

A tear leaked down Temperance's cheek as she watched Seeley give their daughter away. Even though she still though marriage wasn't absolutely necessary, she was sad to see her little girl finally all grown up. Even though Quinn was a continent away, nothing finalized her youth like marriage. With the boys it had always been different – they always seemed more grown up, more like their father, but her girls…it was harder to let go. At least she still had one daughter left. Temperance wiped a tear from her eye as Seeley sat down next to her and held her hand.

"To the beautiful bride and groom, may many children and long days lie ahead of you," said Terricks' best man as he finished his speech. "Now, to the lovely Reagan Booth, our maid of honor." He handed the microphone to Reagan.

"Quinn, my sister and my best friend, you've finally left me," the crowd laughed, "but you've started on a new adventure that will make you very happy. I knew when Terrick quit his job stateside to move to France with you, that he was here to stay. Terrick, you are a lucky man. My sister is one of the best people I know, and I know that you will both be happy. So Quinn and Terrick, here is to a long happy marriage. I love you both."

Quinn stood up and moved over to hug her little sister. "Hey, soon it will be you and Andrew. I love you."

"I love you too."

After the dinner, dancing, and cake, Reagan stepped out onto one of the terraces for some air. She was having a good time, and seeing Quinn happy was the icing on the cake. However, every time she went to dance with Andrew, she would get the evil eye from her mother, so the dancing was limited.

"You're beautiful, you know," she heard from behind her. When Reagan turned around, Andrew stood there. "Here, it's chilly." He put his coat over her shoulders.

"Thanks. Are you having fun?"

"Yes, it's a very nice wedding, and your family is wonderful."

"Aren't they?"

"I particularly like your brothers."

"You already know Parker from work."

"I know, but this is nice because we're just men, not Special Agents." Reagan smiled at this. "And, I'm glad that I'm here with you."

"I'm glad you're here too, Andrew. I just wish my mother would lay off a bit. Every time we go to dance together, I get the evil eye."

"Oh, is that what's wrong. Well, I'll just have to butter your mother up."

"I don't think she can be buttered up."

"Watch me," he said with his cocky smile, before turning and going back inside. Reagan followed and watched as he went to her mother and asked her to dance. Surprisingly, she took his hand and he lead her to the dancefloor. Reagan smiled, and went back outside.

The next visitor was Angela. "Hey, Sweetie."

"Hi Aunt Ang."

"What are you doing out here?"

"Andrew is trying to butter mom up so she stops giving me the evil eye everytime we dance together."

"Oh, I see. Your mom will loosen up, Reagan. I know she's hard to deal with and can be irreproachable, but she loves you."

"That's what she'd like everyone to think, but it's not true."

"How can you say that?"

Reagan sighed, "Look, I don't want to ruin Quinn's wedding. When we get back home, I'll tell you why I know she doesn't love me. But for tonight, let's all pretend that we're happy for Quinn, even though she knows that that's a crock of shit."

"I know you hate hearing this, but you are so much like her sometimes."

"Yeah, I know. That's what scares me. I don't want to be like her at all. I want to be a loving and caring person, and I want to be able to love whomever I want."

"Oh, Andrew."

"Yes, Andrew. I love him and he loves me, but we have to keep it a secret because of what she told me would happen if we got involved."

"Did you ever think she was looking out for you?"

"She's not, believe me. She doesn't believe in overlapping personal and professional relationships."

"You know, even though she's my best friend, she still baffles me sometimes. Both she and I have had overlapping relationships. Take my advice, you should do whatever is going to make you happy. Don't worry about what other people think, and don't worry too much about what your mother threatens. You've still got a father, and I don't think he'd do anything if your relationships overlapped."

Reagan smiled. Yes, even though her father loved her mother, he still loved his children a lot, and would do anything to see them happy. "I suppose you're right, but for now Andrew and I will keep our relationship quiet, until it gets more serious."

Review please!


	22. Recounting Times Past

Thank you for the reviews for the last Chapter. Each time you guys blow me away with your kindness! I hope you enjoy this Chapter, and I'm still trying to fix the is annoying me with this aspect of story writing. The last Chapter was supposed to have a bunch of separators in it, but they didn't show up…grrr! Hope the ones for this Chapter show up.

_Dear Diary,August 19th, 2038_

_Today I am 26 y ears old, and you are ten years old. We've been through a lot together these last ten years, and you've been there with me through thick and thin, inanimate though you may be, you've brought me more comfort than anyone ever has. It's been awhile since I've written to you, and much has happened in my life since nearly two years ago. _

_I'll start with my sister. Quinn is the mother of a set of twins, as of three months ago. A little boy that they named Ryland (strange name, yes, but Quinn isn't exactly a normal name either), and a little girl they named Rosalie. My nickname for her is Rose, but Quinn always wants me to call her Rosalie so she learns her name. She and Terrick are very happy, but extremely busy parents, and they've had to employ a nanny to help them out. And yes, they are still in France, and Quinn goes into work everyday with the babies to get work done at her office. Terrick is still making the big bucks, but he's been reducing his hours now so that he can help with the twins. My parents and I were there when the babies were born, and it was miraculous, even though it was a cesarean section. _

_My brother Peyton is still commitment-phobic, but Caroline is sticking with him, and promises me that she will get him to propose to her. And Parker is the happy father of four children now. In addition to the two boys he and Alyssa already had, they added one more boy, Kato, and finally a little girl they named Joy, after my mom. _

_As for me, well, my relationship with my mother is still strained, but she has relaxed a little. My dad has been trying to get her to retire with him, but you know my mom, workaholic. My mom is now 62, and my dad is 65. Both are still extremely healthy and fit, with no health problems at all. As for Andrew and I, we now live together just outside of Washington DC in our own condo. Both of my parents accept our relationship, and my dad is always making sure that Andrew is treating me right, which he is. We've been together for two years, and are happy as can be. We've discussed getting married, but we want to make sure the timing is right, and that it is something we are both ready for. Personally, I am ready for it, but I don't want to push Andrew into something he's not ready for yet. I'll tell you, I love him so much, and it feels so good to be loved by him. He just makes my day better by waking up next to me. It's amazing how one person can complete you so much. _

_We've had a lot of cases together too. I love working with him, but sometimes the cases are so sad that they are hard to get through. When a little kid's body comes into the lab, it breaks my heart. It's also sad seeing women who were pregnant. Not only did someone miss out on being a mother, but two people were lost. On my first major case, I remember Aunt Angela saying something that my mother once said…that we feel every death because we are human. I think that that is the truest statement that ever came out of my mother's mouth. _

_It's early right now, and Andrew is out in the kitchen cooking me breakfast in bed for my birthday. He's such a sweetheart. We've been talking about having both of our families over for dinner at our new place since none of them have ever been here before. He wants to have a BBQ getting to know you party. It's a good idea to introduce the families since we both know that we'll be getting married one day. _

_Another thing that he's been talking about a lot is children. We were up late talking one night, and he told me he wanted at least four kids. I've always wanted a big family, so four is a reasonable number. I'm just glad he didn't say six, because then I'd have to remind him who has to do all the grunt work for nine months. Sometimes I think he's almost psychic though, especially recently. _

_I had been sick about a week ago and when I went to the doctor they did some blood work…low and behold, I am pregnant. How, I have no idea…well, of course I know **how **but we always are extra careful, and I'm on the pill. I guess I just fell into that 99th percentile and was one of the lucky women who got pregnant on the pill. I am trying to find the right time to tell him. His birthday is next week, so I was thinking of telling him then, but I feel guilty not telling him now, but I think that would be best birthday present for him…to tell him we're starting our family, even if it is a little ahead of schedule. _

_So next week, there will hopefully be a large entry about what his reaction is…though I know it will be a good one. He's going to make a wonderful father._

_Speaking of, here he is now with breakfast._

_Bye for now (and Happy Birthday),_

_Reagan_

"Happy Birthday, Beautiful!" Andrew said cheerfully, sitting the breakfast tray in front of Reagan.

"Why thank you, love. This looks wonderful."

"Our favorite, Mexican omelets." Reagan smiled at him.

"You are too good to me."

"Nothing is too good for you." She smiled again. "I have quite a day planned for us."

"Oh, do you?"

"First, we're going to meet your family at Wong Foo's for lunch, and then, I'm taking you for a boat ride on the Potomac, and then we're having a romantic dinner at an undisclosed location. How's that sound?"

"Like the perfect birthday."

"Good. Once you're done there, go ahead and get ready. I showered before breakfast."

"You're not going to shower with me?" Reagan pouted.

"I can't resist when you do that."

"I know. Want a bite? This is great." He nodded, and opened his mouth. Reagan fed him the bite.

"I'm such a good cook."

"You're modest too," she joked.

"You know you like it."

"Happy Birthday!" said the sign above the bar at Wong Foo's. Every year, she had her family birthday party at the same place, and she loved it.

Seeley walked over to his daughter. "I can't believe my baby is 26 now." Reagan smiled at him. "You just get prettier all the time."

"Thanks, dad."

"Andrew, how are you?" Seeley asked, shaking the young man's hand.

"Doing well, sir," Andrew said with a smile, before putting his arm around Reagan's waist. 

"Treating my little girl right?"

"Of course he is, dad. I'd have sicked you on him if he wasn't," Reagan said smiling. She turned to her mother, and her smiled dimmed a bit. "Hello, mother."

"Happy Birthday, Ray," Tempe said, hugging her daughter stiffly.

"Thanks." IT was always awkward when she had to make any physical contact with her mother.

The rest of the group that had gathered gave Reagan presents and birthday wishes, each gift unique and thoughtful. Yes, it was turning out to be an okay birthday.

Andrew stood behind Reagan on the railing of the _Lady of Shallot_ riverboat. Gently he kissed her neck and massaged her shoulders before wrapping his arms around her waist. "So, has this been a good birthday so far?" Reagan stared at the sparkling blue water.

"The best, Andrew. You're too good for me."

"I think that we're just what each other deserves, and don't let anyone tell you anything else."

"Okay, I won't. So…you aren't going to tell me what you have planned for tonight?"

"No, it's a surprise, and I'm not telling, so stop trying to get it out of me."

"Alright, alright."

"Believe me, it's worth waiting for."

(Conversation that took place one week ago)

Andrew wiped his hands on his pants one last time before knocking on his superior's door. "Come in," he heard from the other side of the door before opening it and walking in. "Ah, Agent Kensington, what brings you here?" Deputy Director Booth asked the young man.

"Actually, this is not work related, but it is important."

"I see, well, have a seat."

"Yes, sir," Andrew replied before sitting down in the chair across from Booth. "I've come to ask you for permission to marry Reagan."

"So you want to marry my little girl?"

"Yes, sir. I love Reagan very much, and we've been together for two years now, and I think that we've both demonstrated that we can handle our relationship with work and everything, at least, that's what we've been trying to prove to both of you."

"I think you've both done very well, and so does my wife. If you marry her, you promise never to hurt her?"

"I wouldn't dream of doing anything to make her upset. I spend our evenings together trying to make her smile after she gets home from work. Believe me, sometimes it's hard to get her to smile."

"What's happening at work?"

"She won't really say too much about it, sir. All I know is that she is extremely stressed with her relationships at work…with certain people at the lab."

"Who are those people?"

"You'd have to ask Reagan, sir. I wouldn't ever tell anyone without her permission first."

"That's what I wanted to hear you say. I know you're a good man, Agent Kensington, and I'd be glad to call you son," Booth said, standing up to shake his future son-in-law's hand.

"Thank you, sir," Andrew said, smiling back at his boss.

"When are you going to ask her?"

"On her birthday. I've got a special day planned for us, and I'll ask her at dinner."

"Sounds like a plan."


	23. Proposing & Preparation

Hello faithful reviewers! I am back finally after a short hiatus due to my lack of motivation. However, this afternoon I felt compelled to write the next chapter of my story for you. Things have been crazy, but hopefully I will be able to get back on the writing wagon and finish. I know you're all dying to know what happened between Tempe and Reagan, and it's coming up soon. Reviews are appreciated!

ooooooooooo

Andrew drove Reagan to an intimate restaurant just outside of the city. Once inside, the maitre d' seated them on the balcony and left their menus. The summer sky was fading to darkness and the moon peaked out from behind a stray cloud. The stars were beginning to shine through, as if waking up from a long rest. Around them, crickets sang their song, as deemed to them by nature.

After ordering their dinner, the waiter brought out a bottle of Champagne for the young couple. He poured them both glasses and set the bottle down before disappearing again. Andrew lifted up his glass to toast his girlfriend, when he noticed that she didn't pick hers up.

"Don't you want any champagne?"

"No, not really. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, we can take it home with us," he said with a smile, setting his glass down. "Is there something you'd like to drink?"

"Water is fine, thanks. This place is amazing. How did you find it?"

"Lots of googleing. I'm glad you like it."

"I love it. You've done so much for me today. I just hope that I can make your birthday just as special."

"As long as you're with me on my birthday, it will be special."

Reagan reached her hand out across the table and took his. Andrew leaned forward and kissed her gently. "I love you," he said sweetly.

"I love you too," she replied back.

A beautiful gourmet dinner of fish and grilled vegetables filled both of their stomachs, and once it was done, Reagan was too full for dessert. It was around that time that Andrew started to get noticeably nervous.

"Are you alright?"

"Well, I have to admit I'm a little nervous."

"Why are you nervous?"

"Well…" he sighed before standing up and going to the railing. Reagan got up and followed him. His plan was working out just the way he wanted it to work.

"Andrew, tell me what's wrong?"

He turned to her and began speaking. "You've always been larger than life to me, from the first moment I met you at the Jeffersonian. I had never met someone so smart and beautiful, and by the time we had our first case together, I couldn't stop thinking about you. As I got to know you…I couldn't help but want to be with you, and when you said that we should try a relationship, I'd never been happier. And now here we are, two years later, and I love you even more than I could ever imagine. Reagan Elizabeth Booth, will you marry me?"

Reagan was speechless. She hadn't even imagined he would do this for her birthday. A smile broke out across her face as she nodded her head. Andrew could barely contain himself long enough to pull a beautiful diamond engagement ring out of his pocket and put it on her finger. It fit perfectly since he had taken one of her rings from her jewelry box without her noticing.

Andrew pulled his new fiancée into his arms and kissed her passionately.

"Andrew, I didn't even guess that you were planning this."

"Well, it was supposed to be a surprise, so I guess I did a good job."

"You did a wonderful job. When did you decide to do this?"

"Well, I went to your father a few weeks ago and asked his permission, and then I went to the jewelry store the next day with one of your rings and I picked out this ring."

"And it's perfect. Did father seem happy about the prospect?"

"He seemed to be, as long as I never hurt you, which I promise I will never ever hurt you."

"I know you wouldn't. I love you." She stood on her toes and kissed him.

"I love you too."

oooooooooooooooooo

(A week later)

_Dear Diary,_

_Today is Andrew's birthday, and it is also the day of our family BBQ where his family and my family will be meeting for the first time. It is also the day we will finally tell everyone that we are engaged. I'm really excited for this – everyone will be here and will see how much we love each other! _

_Guest List Includes:_

_Mrs. Alice Kensington_

_Benjamin & Samantha Kensington_

_Chandler Kensington_

_Devin & Carrie Kensington_

_Derby(I love this name, it's so adorable!)& Summer Kensington_

_Mom_

_Dad_

_Peyton_

_Caroline (who has finally proposed to my brother and he said yes)_

_Parker_

_Alyssa_

_Jamie_

_Joey_

_Kato_

_Joy_

_Aunt Angela_

_Uncle Jack_

_Lucie_

_Stella_

_Nora_

_Billy_

_Uncle Zack_

_Aunt Kelly_

_Molly_

_Jakob_

_Brendan_

_Kristen(the new Addy baby)_

_I'm sure there will be boyfriends and girlfriends of the others since everyone is welcome. Luckily our new place has a ton of room._

_Onto other matters, today is the day I'm going to tell Andrew about the baby. However, I am undecided as to when I'm going to spring this on him. If I do it before the party, then he'll want everyone to know, but if I do it after the party he may want to know why I didn't tell him earlier and if I'm ashamed to let everyone know. I'm not, but I just would like it to be our surprise for a little while. _

_Anyways, I'm going to get up and get ready to start preparing food. Andrew is still sleeping today, so we'll have to be quiet so he can sleep in. He's been working hard lately, and we haven't' had as many cases together. _

_I'll write later to let you know how things go. _

_Reagan_

oooooooooooooooooo

Reagan and Andrew were standing at the sink washing veggies for the veggie tray.

"I'm excited to finally get to meet all of your brothers today, sweetie."

"They'll just love you. Plus you get to meet all of their wives as well…except Chandler, he's never been married."

"And you'll get to see all my family again. But it's not like you don't see them all the time anyways."

"True, but this time it will be different. So, you think we should tell them over dinner?"

"Why not? However, don't think my Aunt Angela won't notice the ring. She's like a magpie when it comes to shiny rings."

Andrew laughed, knowing perfectly well what Reagan was talking about.

"And she'll be excited too. I'll try not to let her see it until then, because otherwise she'll blab it before we get to say anything."

"That's Angela Hodgins for you. When is she finally going to have one of her own get married?"

"I have no idea…they're all too into their work to get married. I mean, Stella is just like Aunt Ange, Bohemian artist and all. Nora spends too much time at the piano to really be interested in any man, and Lucie…well, she's a bit of a party animal. I don't think she's ever had the same boyfriend for more than a month."

"Yes, those three are an interesting bunch."

"Yeah, that's an understatement. Come on, let's get these veggies cut and on the platter. I want you to have most of the meat cooked by the time everyone gets here."

"Your wish is my command, my beautiful lady."


	24. Revelations Pt 1

A/N: Thanks to all of you for your reviews! I'll try to update more regularly…lately I've been in a slump and its been hard to get out of it. This chapter was really hard for me to write, because no matter how much I had thought about what was going to be said, it's still harder to write about than to think about. However, this Chapter will be part one of finding out what went down between Tempe & Reagan, so please review. The more reviews I get for this chapter the faster I'll post the second part. There will probably be three to four more chapters after this one.

Andrew's family was the first to arrive, his mother leading the brood. Alice Kensington was an adorably tiny woman. Her hair was mostly steely gray, though her face was smooth and void of wrinkles. Andrew had many of his mother's features, but most striking were the eyes – they were almost the same eyes that Reagan stared into every night before falling asleep. She hoped that their baby would have those same eyes.

The Kensington Boys were all very similar in looks as well – tall, fair-haired, and blue eyes – and are an altogether good-looking bunch of men. Reagan watched as Andrew interacted with his brothers and their wives, before he began introducing her to the ones she hadn't met before. He introduced Benjamin, the oldest son, and his wife Samantha, who had come into town from Bethesda. Benjamin was definitely the older brother type, just like Parker. He hugged Reagan as though he had known her for years, and Samantha was perfectly polite. The next unknown face was that of Chandler Kensington, who the whole family lovingly called 'Chance'. He was the only other unmarried son, and his attitude was similar to that of Peyton's – a debonair bachelor.

The last two Kensington boys had already become well acquainted with Reagan over the last two years. Both Devin and Derby lived close enough to Andrew that they all had dinner together regularly once every two weeks. Carrie and Summer had already become like sisters to Reagan, and proceeded to make conversation to help everyone get to know each other.

Not long after the Kensington family arrived did Reagan's family finally begin to trickle in. First came Parker and his family. Reagan hugged her brother and sister-in-law and then the children. Andrew greeted them and introduced them to his family. Next came the Hodgins' and the Addys'. Angela was helping Kelly with the children while Stella, Nora, and Lucie fussed over the newest baby. Peyton and Caroline arrived with Tempe and Seeley. At last the entire group was assembled.

After twenty minutes of introductions and settling children down, Reagan told everyone that the food was ready and the men rushed to the kitchen first, then returning to the living room to turn on the television for the baseball game. Therefore, it was left up to the women to help get the children fed before eating themselves. Andrew, however, made sure he helped out as much as possible before joining Reagan at the table.

"Andrew, you can go watch the game if you want to," Reagan said, knowing full well how much he enjoyed baseball.

"It's alright, Ray, I can stay here and help out."

"All right, if you insist," she said with a smile, and he put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek.

"You guys are so cute together," Angela said with a smile.

"My boys all pick wonderful women," Alice said, "and Reagan is quite a gem. You are lucky to have such a brilliant daughter, Temperance."

Temperance nodded at the woman in thanks before getting up and heading back out to the grill.

"Your mother is rather quiet, isn't she, Reagan?" Alice observed.

"Yes, she generally is, you know, doesn't say much unless it's something important. I'll, uh, be right back. Excuse me," Reagan said, getting up from the table and following her mother out onto the deck.

ooooooooooooo

Reagan approached her mother quietly, after shutting the glass doors that led back inside. "What's wrong with you? Can't we get along for just one day?"

"We generally get along, Reagan."

"Alright, then let me rephrase that…can you forget the fact that you hate me for just a few hours? I'm trying to introduce you to the people that will be a part of our family and then this starts."

Temperance looked down and continued serving up more food.

"Can't you even look at me? Do I disgust you that much, mother?"

"I don't know what you're getting on about."

"You don't?!? You have to be kidding me, right? Don't you remember the day you told me you hated me? The day you broke my heart? Or has your incredibly large brain filed that far away too?" Reagan was exasperated with her mother. How could her mother just sit there and ignore her like this?

"Reagan, I don't want to get into it right now."

"Too bad, Temperance, too bad. I am 26 years old and I want to know the answer to the question that has plagued me for 18 years. I'm tired of trying to figure out what's wrong with me, why I wasn't lovable enough for you."

"Okay, if you really want to know, I'll tell you."

oooooooooooooo

"Where did Reagan go?" Booth asked as he walked up to Andrew, who was standing behind the couch watching the game.

"I think she went outside with her mother. They're probably just talking."

"You don't know what could happen when Bones and Reagan get to talking. Let's just say that there are some unresolved issues between mother and daughter."

"What do you mean?"

"Reagan and Tempe don't get along very well for reasons that are still hazy to me. Has she ever mentioned it?"

"I know that she has a strained working relationship with Dr. Brennan, but Reagan is always very respectful. The only thing that would probably know if there were problems would be that diary of hers. She writes in it nearly every day."

"Yes, that was a gift from Angela when she turned 16. I thought it would be out of pages by now."

"Maybe she just writes really small. She knows she can tell me anything, but sometimes its nice to have something to vent to just for the fact that it can't talk back."

"So when are you telling the rest of the crew that you're getting married?"

"As soon as Ray comes back inside. I'm surprised no one else has found out since Reagan's been wearing her ring all day."

"I saw it, it's nice."

"Thanks."

"So when is the wedding going to be?"

"I have no idea, we haven't really talked about that yet. We're both adjusting to the fact that we're engaged, but I think we'll set it soon. I know she's talked about getting married in January so she can have a winter wedding."

"She's always liked the winter. When she was little, I'd take all of the kids sledding. Bones never really enjoyed the snow too much, so she never sledded, but she did like to ice skate. I can remember the first time that we put ice skates on Ray. Tempe took her around the ice slowly, it's one of my favorite memories of them."

"How old was she?"

"Two. I'll have to get some baby pictures for you to see. She was the prettiest baby. Now, all my children are attractive, but there was always something special about Reagan. I think it was the way she looked at you. From the minute she was born, it was as if she was looking into your soul with her eyes."

"She's still the most beautiful woman in the world, though Quinn is lovely. There's no one like Ray."

"I'm glad you see that, son. She's one of a kind."

ooooooooooooo

A/N: I was thinking of writing a side story for each of the Hodgins girls. Though they aren't really explored here, I think that they would have interesting personalities and would be good to explore. Please let me know what you think!


	25. Author's Note

Author's Note to Readers

Hello faithful readers of Seven Years. Just to let you know, I am currently out of town for a job interview, so I will not be able to update the story as soon as I had planned.

This next Chapter, the big reveal, is going to be hard for me to write because no matter how much I've envisioned this scene, I'm still having trouble writing Reagan's voice to make her sound like a rational adult.

So hopefully by the end of this week or this weekend the next Chapter will be up for your reading pleasure.

Again, thanks for reading!

Theatrehopeful11


	26. Revelations Pt 2

**Hello all faithful readers! Thank you for your reviews and input over the last two postings. I started my new job three weeks ago and have been in my new apartment for about a month now. Getting settled in a new place is difficult, and the fact that I've had major writers block has not helped (along with having little to no time to write or read, for that matter) me at all. However, I got a sudden inspiration for the cause of Brennan's argument with her daughter and here it is. Please review and tell me what you think of this chapter!**

**Only a few more chapters after this!**

"_Can't you even look at me? Do I disgust you that much, mother?"_

"_I don't know what you're getting on about."_

"_You don't?!? You have to be kidding me, right? Don't you remember the day you told me you hated me? The day you broke my heart? Or has your incredibly large brain filed that far away too?" Reagan was exasperated with her mother. How could her mother just sit there and ignore her like this?_

"_Reagan, I don't want to get into it right now."_

"_Too bad, Temperance, too bad. I am 26 years old and I want to know the answer to the question that has plagued me for 18 years. I'm tired of trying to figure out what's wrong with me, why I wasn't lovable enough for you."_

"_Okay, if you really want to know, I'll tell you."_

_oooooooooo_

_Flashback…_

"I'm on my way, Booth…it's almost over?!? Just watch the kids, I'll be there in a bit. Yes, Serena held me up, she was fussing before I left work." Temperance sighed while glancing in the rear view mirror into the backseat. In a car seat facing the back was her three-month-old infant daughter, Serena, gurgling away. "Booth, I'm hurrying, goodbye."

Temperance put her phone down and started to speed the car up, just as Serena started to cry. She looked into the backseat, and considered pulling over to check her daughter, but she was so close to the school, and Reagan was counting on her to be there. She turned around and started to change lanes…

(three hours later)

"Mrs. Booth…Mrs. Booth…can you hear me?"

Temperance coughed. "It's Dr. Brennan."

"Good, you're awake. You gave us all quite a scare there for a minute."

"What happened?"

"You were in an accident."

"Oh…I think I remember. I was rushing to my daughter's science fair and…my daughter, where's my daughter."

"Your two daughters and sons are in the hall waiting with your husband."

"Where's the baby? Where's Serena?"

"Mrs. Booth, I…"

"It's DOCTOR Brennan," she said harshly, her apprehension evident.

"Dr. Brennan, your daughter didn't survive the crash." It was at the point she stopped hearing what was being said. Brennan didn't care that she was hurt, all she thought about was her little angel's smile, and how she'd never see it again. "The car seat killed her, we're so sorry. We tried everything we could." The doctor, seeing she wasn't listening anymore, went out to get Booth.

Booth walked in, his head down and he walked over to her bed. The tears in his eyes were barely contained as he reached for her hand.

_End Flashback_

ooooooooooooooooo

"Your baby sister died because I was rushing to see you in some stupid science fair. Had I taken my time, she would still be alive today."

"I don't even remember having a baby sister, mother."

"Once she died, I made sure that every trace of her was removed from the house. All of the baby furniture was sold, and the videos and pictures are locked in a trunk with no key in the attic."

"So you erased any possible physical memories of my baby sister? What gave you that right?"

"Because I blamed you, and since it was your fault, you didn't deserve to remember."

Reagan went numb, it was like she was eight years old all over again, and she could barely stand there next to her mother. "But I wasn't there…I was only eight."

"I got in a wreck going to see you. Your dad called complaining that you were whining because I wasn't there, so I rushed to get there for you. If that hadn't been the case, Serena would still be alive today, but…"

"You still blame me, it's not blamed. That's why you can't even bear to be near me for longer than ten minutes at a time. You think that I killed Serena."

"Don't use her name, you have no right."

"She was my sister! A sister you made me forget about. I think the main issue is that you never grieved for her. You got all upset and depressed and pushed me away, but you never dealt with the pain – you never dealt with the fact that you were the one driving the car – it was you, not me."

Temperance looked at her daughter in disgust before slapping her across the face. Reagan's hand came up to her cheek, but her eyes didn't tear. She was too much of a Brennan to cry over being slapped.

"You know what," Reagan said, bringing her hand down. "I am done with this…this foolishness. I did not kill my little sister, and I am tired of being blamed for something I had nothing to do with. I'm done with you, and all this emotional bullshit that I've been going through for fifteen years. However, before I completely erase you from my life, I want you to know how my life has been for the last fifteen years." Reagan paced to the other side of the deck and leaned on the railing.

"That night, when you told me that I was a mistake, I changed. I adored you, you were the person I most wanted to be like when I grew up, and when you told me that, it broke my heart. No, not just broke my heart, you obliviated my heart. I thought that there was something wrong with me, something so bad that you couldn't love me anymore, and I was devastated. I withdrew, I stopped coming to the Jeffersonian – my favorite place in the entire world – and I hated myself. I grew up trying to be perfect for you, to show you that I was lovable, and that I could be everything you wanted me to be, but in doing that, I denied myself the happiness a child should have. You think you had it bad when you were in foster care, well I think I would have been better off in foster care. At least then I would have known not to have any hope."

"I wanted to be the best for you, and when the best wasn't enough, I tried to do bad in school so you'd notice, but you didn't. So I figured out that I couldn't please you, and doing bad bothered me, so I did well for myself. You and dad always loved Parker, Payton, and Quinn more than you loved me. I'd watch you hug them and talk to them, and I was so jealous. I knew that I was smarter than all of them, but I couldn't get you to even look my way. So I grew up faster than I should have, and I forced myself to get away from home as fast as I could. That day that I moved into my dorm and you and dad didn't even show up to say goodbye, which really hurt. Luckily, Aunt Angela and Uncle Jack still loved me, or I would have been alone to move all my stuff in."

"You've always been cold, Temperance. I was a fool then, but I'm no fool now. You still blame me for something I wasn't even involved in. So, until the day you get over whatever issues you have to get over, I never want to speak to you, or see you unless it is unavoidable. I'm going to be transferred out of the Medico-Legal lab and into another part of the museum."

"Well, I hope that you're happy there. You always were trouble."

"No, you're wrong, I was never trouble, I never raised enough hell. You can leave now."

And with that Temperance Brennan left.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Temperance stormed into the room from outside and grabbed her purse. "Seeley, now!"

"Bones…Bones!" Seeley went to the door and grabbed her arm. "Slow down a minute, what's going on?"

"I'm no longer welcome here. Let's go home."

"What do you mean?"

"Please, Temperance," Reagan said, coming inside. "Don't make a scene in front of my welcomed guests."

"Ray," Andrew said, walking up next to her, "is everything okay?"

"Of course dear. She was just leaving."

"Booth! Now!" Seeley looked between his wife and his daughter, trying to get a signal from either of them what was wrong, what was going on, but neither would lose the stony look on their faces. Booth looked at Parker, who had come with them. "I'll get the family home, dad. Go with Mom."

Booth nodded before leaving with his wife. He was going to get to the bottom of this feud, he was determined to fix what ever was wrong between them.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Once the front door closed, the entire Kensington family looked flabbergasted, as did the rest of Reagan's family that was left. No one had any idea what had been said between mother and daughter, they only knew that it had ended badly.

Before Andrew could talk to Reagan, she started talking to everyone else. "I'm sorry about that. My mother and I don't get along very well at all. Some people say we're too much alike. Anyways, Andrew and I have an announcement that we'd like to make."

Reagan looked at Andrew, who was still trying to catch up with the conversation. "Ah, uhm…yes, we do have an announcement. A very good one, in fact. A few weeks ago I asked if Dr. Reagan Booth would do me the honor of becoming my wife, and she accepted."

Andrew's mother jumped up and hugged her son, and then her future daughter in law. Finally, her Andrew was getting married, and to a smart, pretty young woman no less. She was so happy he had found someone to love. "Congratulations, children. Reagan, I'm so glad that you're going to become a part of our family."

"Thank you, Mrs. Kensington, that means so much to me."

"If you need help planning the wedding, I'd be glad to help you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Andrew smiled at his future wife. He loved that his mother liked Reagan. However, in the back of his mind, the picture of Dr. Brennan and Reagan squaring off at the door kept nagging him.


	27. The Aftermath

Later that evening, after the company had gone, Reagan sat in hers and Andrew's room. She had asked to be alone for a little while before bed so that she could organize her thoughts.

The realization that her mother blamed her for the death of her little sister had hit her harder than she thought it would. How could someone blame a child for something that she had no control over? How could a mother do that?

Reagan looked down to her flat stomach and gently placed a hand there. "Whatever happens, I promise that I'll never blame you for something that isn't your fault. I don't want you to grow up like I did, I want you to know that I'll always love you, and that your daddy will always love you, and that everyone in your life will love you." She wiped tears from her face, trying to cover up the fact that she was hurt more than she had ever been before.

Andrew, who had been waiting outside the door, knocked before coming in. He looked at his fiancée and frowned as he saw the tears that were streaming down her face. "Are you okay, Ray?"

"I'm going to be fine, sweetie."

"Want to tell me what went on today?"

"I wish I never had to relive it again, but it's your right to know." Reagan paused before continuing. "When I was eight years old, my mother told me she hated me."

"Oh, Reagan. She…"

"Just wait until I'm finished, alright?" She said, sharply cutting him off. "I only want to go through this once. She hates me because she blames me for the death of my little sister."

"You had a little sister?"

"Yeah, I did, but I don't ever remember having one. Mom said that she was on her way to one of my science fairs and she wasn't paying attention, and she was trying to hurry to get to the school. When she changed lanes, she was hit by another car. My little sister died and my mother said that if she hadn't been hurrying to my science fair, then my little sister would be alive."

"You had nothing to do with it. She's the one who didn't look before she changed lanes. So is this why you and your mom are so weird around each other?"

"Yeah, I guess it is. I didn't know what I was accused of doing, all I knew is that she loved me one day and hated me the next. It was a tough pill to swallow at eight."

"I'm so sorry, Ray. No one should ever be blamed for something like this. I…I don't know what to say or do, but tell me and I'll do my best to make it better." He wiped the tears off her cheeks and smiled at her softly.

"Things will be better. I couldn't have asked for anything more now. I have you, we're getting married, and…" her voice trailed off.

"And what?"

"Well, I haven't given you your birthday present yet. I just realized it."

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"Hey, you proposed to me on my birthday, I had to do something. Wait here for a minute." Reagan got up quickly and went into their closet. She came back out holding a piece of paper, and handed it to him. "Happy Birthday, Andrew."

Andrew's eyes scanned the piece of paper once, widened, and then scanned the paper again. "Is this for real?"

"Of course, see the signature on the bottom? Proof from the Doctor that this is valid."

"So I'm…I'm…"

"You're going to be a dad in about seven months, I'd say." Andrew stood up and pulled her into his arms.

"This is the best birthday present ever."

"I thought it would be."

"I mean, not only am I engaged to an incredibly beautiful, intelligent woman, whom I love and who loves me, but we're having a baby? Does anyone else know?"

"Nope, you're the first, other than me and the doctor of course." He stood and pulled her into his arms.

"I love you, Reagan."

"I love you too, Andrew."

ooooooo

A week later, Seeley Booth had finally found out what had happened between mother and daughter, and needless to say, he was very disappointed in his wife. Generally, he got angry with her, but this was the first time he had ever been disappointed in her actions. He couldn't believe that she blamed their baby for the accidental death of their last-born child. Booth had called Reagan once he found out what had happened, and he had a nice long conversation with her, trying to smooth things over to no avail. She wanted nothing to do with her mother until there was an apology, and he couldn't agree with her more. Temperance Brennan, as much as he loved her, was too bull headed to admit that she hadn't dealt with the death of Serena properly.

However, Booth had other issues to deal with as well. On that Monday, Temperance announced that she would be retiring at the end of the month to write more books, and that Zack would be taking her place as Director of the Medico-Legal lab. Reagan, who had taken the week off, was glad when she heard the news. She hadn't really wanted to leave forensics, so this gave her the perfect opportunity. However, with Zack being promoted, Booth had to worry about his daughter working as much as his wife had.

His life at home was mostly normal since the argument, other than the fact that there was absolutely no mentioning Reagan's name at all anymore. Every time he said something about Reagan, Temperance would just continue on as if he had said nothing. It bugged him a lot that she could just turn her back on Reagan. A daughter was supposed to have her mother there to help her plan her wedding, but he knew that it wasn't going to happen in this case. No, he had overheard Reagan and Angela talking about the wedding when he stopped by the Jeffersonian. Apparently, Reagan had already found someone who treated her like a daughter.

Booth was shocked to hear his daughter tell him that she was going to have a baby in seven months. His baby was finally having her first baby. Tears filled his eyes as she hugged him tight and made him promise not to tell her mother. She also told him that the wedding was in a month and a half, so that she could get married without having the baby show.

Reagan's wedding invitation arrived at the Booth household, addressed to Mr. Seeley Booth, completely ignoring her mother. He was invited to the wedding shower, where he watched his daughter and future son-in-law hold hands and talk to the guests. They were so in love, and reminded him so much of himself and Temperance. He knew that before the date of the wedding he had to knock some sense into his wife. She needed to get over her issues because, even though Reagan hid her feelings well, Booth knew that his little girl would be heart broken if her mother wasn't there for her wedding.


End file.
